The Assassins
by SatinKisses
Summary: A castle lord hires Bankotsu, the leader of the Band of Seven to help protect him from his enemies.  While there, Bankotsu befriends the castle lord's niece.  He really likes her, but is there something going on with her that she's hiding from him?
1. Chapter 1

I've always heard people say that you never know what you had until it was gone. I never really quite understood what they meant until the year that I turned fifteen years old. My name is Nieci Kasugi and I grew up in a small village near the mountains of Japan. I lived with my mother and father. I was their only child. My family was the typical loving family. We didn't have much, but our home was filled with happiness. That is until the great war began. My father was a sargeant in the Japanese army and he had to leave me and my mother to protect the country. Unfortunately, he died on the battlefield. After his death my mother struggled to raise me on her own. We were already poor but after what happened happened our struggle intensified. I hated the way that we lived and I often wished that I could live in a wealthy family with good food and a nice warm bed. Well, I eventually got my wish. On the week of my fifteenth birthday, my mother also passed away. She had been battling an illness for the past couple of years and it had finally gotten the best of her.

After her death, I moved in with my mother's younger half brother, Uncle Hari. Uncle Hari was a wealthy castle lord and had many villages wrapped around his finger. Even though he and my mom were brothers and sisters, Uncle Hari was only ten years older than me. I missed my mom and dad greatly, but I was also happy to live in the life of luxury with Uncle Hari. Little did I know that everything that glitters isn't gold.

"Nieci?! Where the hell are you?!" I woke up one morning to hear my uncle hollering at me. I groggily opened my eyes and sat up in the bed. The sun beating down on me. "Nieci?! Nieci?!" I quickly got out of bed and went to my door and opened it. I saw my uncle walking down the hallway looking very angry.

"What's the matter Uncle Hari?" I asked him. He gave me a cold look.

"Didn't I tell you to be downstairs early this morning for breakfast. You know that I have an important guest coming and I have to make a good impression on him."

"I'm very sorry."

"Oh you'll be sorry. Just hurry up and get dressed." I nodded my head and went to my room. I shuddered to think about what he meant by 'you'll be sorry'. I had been on the receiving end of Uncle Hari's wrath many times before, so I knew that my day wasn't looking good. It was best not to anger him any more, so I grabbed some clothes and headed out to the bath house.

As I sat in the warm, relaxing water, I began to wonder who was this important guest that had Uncle Hari so worked up. Maybe it was some prince from a distant land or something like that. Or maybe it would be a knight who could come and save me from this horrible place. Feh! Yeah right, there you go fantasizing again Nieci. I was damned to stay right here in this castle forever. I sunk down lower in the bath, beginning to get lost in my thoughts and dreams. How I would love to find my soulmate and have a happy family like my family used to be. But as long as I was held captive here, I couldn't do that.

"NIECI!!!" The loud, harsh voice of my uncle knocked me out of my thoughts as I quickly sat up in the bath. Oh no, I had made him angry again by taking too much time bathing. I quickly hopped out of the water and put on my pink and white kimono and tan sandals. I ran back to the main castle, hoping that I wouldn't anger my uncle more than I already had.

When I went to the breakfast table, I saw my uncle sitting at the table with another man. He had long black hair, dark eyes, and a marking on his forehead. My uncle looked at me very coldly and the other man's gaze wasn't really friendly either. I bowed to the two men before taking a seat. "Nieci, this is the leader of the Shichinintai, Bankotsu."

"Pleased to meet you Sir," I said shaking his hand. The man just nodded.

"I have hired Bankotsu here to help protect the castle from a rival one."

"Hold on. I didn't agree to work for you yet," the man said.

"Of course. My apologies. See what I want you to do..." The two men began to talk about war and conditions of working and things like that. I wasn't very interested as I continued eating and stared out of the window. "...and thats the basics of the job."

"Well that sounds reasonable, but I'll have to talk to the rest of my men before I accept this job."

"Of course. Nieci, please escort Bankotsu out. Nieci?" I still wasn't paying attention when my uncle began calling me. "Nieci!" I turned to him startled, accidentally knocking my cup of hot tea on Bankotsu.

"Ahhh shit," he gasped, standing up and wiping his clothes.

"I'm so sorry," my uncle said, rising from the table as well. "Yoko, get me a towel!" he called out to one of his servants.

"I'm sorry Sir," I said to Bankotsu. Uncle Hari turned and gave me an icy glare.

"Dammit Nieci how can you be so clumsy?"

"No. No, I'm alright," Bankotsu said looking his clothes over, "she didn't do too much damage." My uncle nodded his head. Yoko came back with a towel in her hands and handed it to Bankotsu. He then wiped the rest of the tea off.

"Yoko, show Bankotsu out please." Yoko nodded her head and left the room with the guest. After they were gone, my uncle turned to me. His brown eyes held anger where as mine held fear. He slowly approached me as I slowly backed away. Before I knew it my back was against the wall.

"I'm sorry Unc..." Before I knew it, a strong hand went across my face.

"You wench! How dare you embarass me like that! Are you out of your mind?"

"I'm sorry Uncle Hari, I didn't mean..." He slapped me again.

"Did I say you could talk?! No I didn't! And here I thought that I would be able to go easy on you this time, but you insist on pissing me off! Go to your room and don't come out until I tell you!"

"Yes Sir." I started to walk away, but he grabbed me by my arm and pulled me back. Once again, he struck me in the face.

"Didn't I say that you couldn't talk?!" I bit my lip and nodded, trying to fight back the tears. I was so used to him striking me, that it really didn't hurt as much as it used to. "Good girl. I'll see you later." I nodded again and began to walk upstairs to my bedroom.

It was nighttime before Uncle Hari came to my room to get me. I was lying in the bed staring at the stars when I felt a hand caressing my back. I turned my head around and looked up at him. His eyes had lust in them, a look that I was used to seeing on a regular basis. "Come on," he sternly said. I obeyed and got off my bed and followed him to his room.

As I laid in my uncles bed, feeling violated once again I began to realize that I couldn't live like this anymore. I was now eighteen years old and I had been living here in the castle for nearly three years. Something had to give. I didn't know how successful my escape would be, but I had to try. As quiet as I could I eased out of Uncle Hari's bed. He shifted over to his other side, but he was still asleep. I tip toed out of his room and shut the door behind me. I then made a silent sprint down the hall to my own room. I quickly put on some clothes and shoes and made my way to the bottom floor of the castle.

"Lady Nieci? Where are you off to?" one of the guards asked me.

"Oh...um, I'm going to go and take a walk. Its so peaceful out here," I lied.

"Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No. No, I'm fine."

"Very well. Be safe." I nodded my head as I continued walking. As soon as I was out of the guards sights, I took off running through some woods that were near the castle. I had to flee from the area as soon as possible. I would have a long way to go, for all of the nearby villages were owned by my uncle. As I kept running, it seemed as if my escape would be successful, but all of a sudden I ran into someone. I wasn't able to stop myself as me and the person went flying to the ground.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly hopping off of the person. I gasped when I realized who it was. It was Bankotsu. Aww man, I had messed him up twice in one day. This was not looking good for me.


	2. Chapter 2

"You're that girl from the castle," Bankostu said.

"I'm so sorry," I cried trying to help him up.

"I'm alright. No harm done see. You know, you should really watch where you are going."

"I know. I apologize."

"No need to. What are you doing out here in these woods so late?" I didn't want to tell him the truth, considering as how he might be working for Uncle Hari.

"I was restless so I decided to take a walk."

"Well a pretty girl like you shouldn't be out here all alone. There are perverted men everywhere." Hmph. Even though that was true, the biggest pervert was asleep in that castle.

"I'll be fine."

"No, I won't hear of it. Let's get you back home shall we?"

"No!...I mean...I just want to relax out here for a while." He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Very well then." He took a seat on the ground, "then I guess that I'll be staying here too." He looked up at me, expecting me to sit down with him. I let out a big sigh as I finally sat down beside him. It seemed as if I wasn't escaping tonight. Better luck next time. "It is very peaceful out here," Bankotsu said, looking at the stars.

"Yeah it is."

"What was your name again?"

"Nieci."

"Nieci. That's a pretty name. It fits you well." I felt myself blushing. "So Nieci. What's it like to be the daughter of a castle lord?"

"Oh no. Uncle Hari isn't my father. He's my uncle. My father died a long time ago in the war."

"I see. And your mother?"

"She's no longer here either. She passed away from a disease."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Its okay." We were silent for a few moments. It was kind of awkward.

"Both of my parents are dead too. But I guess you could say that I have my own unique family with the Band of Seven."

"Oh I heard about them. The Shichinintai."

"Please. Call us the Band of Seven. Shichinintai sounds so formal." I let out a light chuckle.

"Excuse me, the Band of Seven. I heard that you guys were a group of very deadly mercenaries who's only sole duty in life was to kill as many people as possible."

"Hmmm. I see our reputation proceeds us. I suppose that your uncle told you about us." I nodded my head. "Well its a dog eat dog world out here. Either kill or be killed and I for one choose not to be on the deadly end of that equation."

"I understand." We began to talk for a little while about random things, nothing really special. As our conversation went on, Bankotsu didn't seem like the vicious, murderous killer I thought he was. In fact he seemed very nice and quite easy to talk to. Then again, living with Uncle Hari, I didn't have much interaction with people other than the servants.

"So Nieci, how long..." Bankotsu was cut off by the sudden sound of a siren. It was coming from the castle. "What is that?" he asked, standing back up. Oh no! Uncle Hari must have woken up and realized that I wasn't there. I quickly stood to my feet in a panic. Should I run? Should I stay with Bankotsu? My thoughts were cut short by the sound of a horse. One of the castle guards came into view and stopped beside me and Bankotsu.

"She's over here my Lord!" he called out. Seconds later, Uncle Hari appeared from the bushes riding a horse of his own.

"Nieci? What the hell are you doing out here? You weren't trying to escape were you, you little wench?!" he snapped at me. I instantly froze up upon hearing his deep, cold voice. Bankotsu looked at Uncle Hari, then at me, then back at him.

"Actually, she was out here keeping me company," Bankotsu told him. Uncle Hari turned to Bankotsu, looking a little startled. I guess he was so pissed at me that he didn't notce him.

"Bankotsu?" he gasped, "what brings you here?"

"Well, my men decided not to take you up on this job offer and I was on my way to tell you that I wouldn't be either." He then turned his head to look at me. "But upon talking with Lady Nieci here, I have since changed my mind. She has convinced me that my presence is needed here at the castle. You should really be thanking your niece." I looked at Bankotsu suprised. He had just lied for me to save me from Uncle Hari's wrath. I really owed him one. Uncle Hari narrowed his eyes at me and Bankotsu.

"Very well then," he gruffly said, "Nieci, return to the castle with Bankotsu here and show him to his room. I will expect to see you there shortly." I nodded my head.

"Yes Sir." Uncle Hari gave me one more cold look before riding away with the guard following him. I let out a big sigh of relief.

"Well isn't he a bucket full of rainbows," Bankotsu sarcastically said. I turned to him and softly smiled.

"Why did you just lie for me?"

"Huh? I didn't lie. I was on my way to turn down his offer, but I changed my mind when I talked to you." I could feel myself blushing again. Bankotsu lightly chuckled. "Come on. Let's go so you can show me my room. I'm beat."

"Yes Sir," I said.

"Don't call me Sir. I have to be about the same age as you." I smiled again.

"I'll remember."

"You better." We turned and started to make our way back to the castle. Hmmm...maybe it was good that I didn't escape after all.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke the next moring extremely hungry. I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's breakfast. Uncle Hari wouldn't let me come down for dinner because of what I had done to Bankotsu. I climbed out of bed and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. Yoko was there to greet me.

"Good morning Lady Nieci," she said with a bright smile and bow.

"Good morning Yoko. What do we have to eat around here? My stomach is growling."

"I'll fix you something right away."

"Thank you so much." Yoko bowed once more and began to rumble around for some food. I took a seat at the breakfast table. I was surprised that I was all alone in the castle. Usually Uncle Hari or one of his advisors would be around, but I didn't see anybody throughout the entire castle. It seemed as if Yoko and I were the only ones here. After a couple of minutes, Yoko came with my breakfast. She set it down in front of me and I immediately began to eat. Mmm it was so good. Yoko really had talent. Yoko looked at me with a questioning look.

"Is my Lady pleased?" I turned to her and smiled.

"Of course I am. This is delicious."

"I'm glad to hear."

"Say Yoko, you wouldn't happen to know where everyone is would you?"

"Oh yes. The others are down at the training grounds watching Bankotsu in action. He is showing the other soilders what he is made of. Why he is in fact the leader of the Shichinintai."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. From what I heard he is a very impressive fighter. His weapon is a big halberd he calls Banryu. I hears that it would take three normal men to lift it, yet he can wield it with one hand." All of a sudden her story became more interesting than my breakfast. I really wanted to see what Bankotsu was made of. I quickly finished eating the rest of my food and together, Yoko and I made our way down to the training grounds.

When we finally arrived, there was a crowd of people standing around watching Bankotsu. He was currently in combat with another soldier. As soon as my uncle saw me there, he patted the seat next to him on the platform. I obeyed and quicly made my way over to him and sat down. Bankotsu briefly glanced over to me and smiled. I smiled back. I watched in amazement as he proceeded to whoop that soilder's behind all over the grounds. Yoko was right, he truly was impressive. The way he swung his weapon around with such skill and precision. I had never seen anyone fight like him before except for my father. After a minute or so, Bankotsu had disarmed the soldier and had him lying on the ground with his weapon pointed to his neck.

"Hmph. Light work," he smirked, "get back in line!"

"Ye..yes sir," the soldier stuttered as he scrambled to his feet and went back over to the other soldiers. Bankotsu continued to smirk as he turned his head to my uncle.

"Lord Minamoto, you should let me kill all of these week soldiers of yours. They wouldn't last a minute against my men."

"Do as you like," my uncle simply replied. Bankotsu then turned to me and smiled.

"Nah. There is a lady in our midst." I softly smiled back. Uncle Hari turned to me and gave me a harsh look, wiping the smile off of my face. Bankotsu turned back around to the line of soldiers.

"Okay. Who's my next victim?" The soldiers shuffled around and looked at one another, none of them willing to take on Bankotsu and his massive weapon. "What? Are all of you so called men afraid to take me on? Heh! Very well then, I guess we can conclude our fun some other time. After you all have improved of course."

"Heh! Pathetic indeed," Uncle Hari called out to the men, "for this you will all go down to the mountains with Sargeant Takahashi and train until sundown. Now get out of my sights!"

"Yes Lord Minamoto," the soldiers said in unison, exasperation clear in their voices. They all bowed before following Sargeant Takahashi out of the training grounds. Uncle Hari's angry expression didn't change as he rose from his chair.

"Come," he said to his advisors, "we have work to do."

"Yes Lord Minamoto," they all said before following him into the castle, leaving me and Bankotsu all alone. After the last advisor shut the door, I got out of my seat and went over to Bankotsu.

"That was amazing," I said with a huge smile. Bankotsu just smirked.

"Heh! That was nothing. If those men would have had the skill like the members of the Band of Seven, my performace would have been much more impressive."

"Still you have to admit that was pretty cool." He lightly chuckled in reply. I then went over to his weapon and ran my fingers on the huge, shiny blade. "This is the biggest weapon I've ever seen." Bankotsu lifted the halberd in his hands.

"What Banryu? I've had this thing since before I formed the Band of Seven. Its been by my side for years."

"Banryu? Well Banryu is pretty impressive." He looked down at me and smirked.

"Would you like to hold it? You know, feel what its like to be a real warrior?"

"Are you kidding me? I couldn't even lift the thing off of the ground, let alone hold it."

"Sure you can." He set Banryu on the ground with the blade in the earth. He then grabbed my hand and pulled me in front of him. "Now, put your hands like this." He positioned my hands on the massive handle. He then wrapped his arms around me and also put his hands on the handle. "Now you just lift it and start swinging it around, trying to make a hit on the closest opponet." We (mainly him) lifted Banryu and started to swing the blade in various motions. "See I told you you could do it."

"Yeah right, you're the main one holding it."

"Is that so?" I smiled as we continued doing battle motions. A chill went down my spine as I could feel his warm breath blowing on the back of my neck. "Am I too close?" Bankotsu suddenly asked. I guess he noticed me shiver. I shook my head no. "Good," he said before pulling me closer to him which caused me to laugh a little. To tell the truth, if felt nice to be this close to him. A much wanted change from my uncle anyways. I could stay like this for a long time. Oh my Nieci, could you be developing a little crush on this man? I mean he was rather attractive, but...

"Let's see if you can handle it on your own now. So show me what you got," Bankotsu suddenly said, knocking me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" And with that, he let go of the handle of Banryu and I instantly fell to the ground as a result taking the weapon with me. Bankotsu immediately extended a hand out to me, slightly laughing. I gave him an icy glare before taking his hand.

"Hmm...I guess it was me after all. And here I thought that I had a little assassin right here in my midst," he joked as he pulled me to my feet. I smiled as I brushed the dirt off my kimono.

"Not likely," I said, lightly pushing him. Bankotsu smiled and I did likewise. We stood there silently for a few moments, looking at each other's eyes. Boy did he have some pretty eyes on him. I was about to compliment him on them when all of a sudden, I heard my uncle's deep voice.

"Nieci! Get inside!" I turned around to see Uncle Hari glaring at me, obviously angry, but for what I didn't know.

"Yes Sir," I said as I quickly ran inside the castle, without saying goodbye to Bankotsu.


	4. Chapter 4

I followed my angry uncle all the way upstairs seemingly on the way to his bedroom. We passed several of his advisors on the way. They eyed the ground as we passed each and every one of them. They all knew what kinds of things that Uncle Hari did to me, but none of them ever stopped him for they would surely lose their jobs if they ever came against him. When we finally came to his room, my heart was racing in my chest. I was pretty sure that I was going to get a beating again. He opened the door and entered the dark room whereas I stayed in the doorway. Uncle Hari then turned around to see that I wasn't planing on following him, so he grabbed me by the wrist and jerked me in the room. He locked the door behind him with his key. When he turned back around to face me, his brown eyes held so much anger in them that I began to fear for my life. I remained silent because I knew he would hit me if I said anything without permission. After a minute of heart stopping silence, he finally opened his mouth.

"What were you doing out there with Bankotsu?" he asked, deep voice as cold as ice. I took a deep breath.

"He...he was just showing me Ba...Banryu," my voice cracked.

"And since when did I give you permission to learn how to fight?"

"Y...you didn't."

"That's right." A strong hand when across my cheek, my head swinging to the other side. "And when did I give you permission to talk to Bankotsu?"

"You did...didn't."

"Good girl." He struck me once again. I bit my lip trying to fight back the tears, but they escaped anyways. A small smirk formed at Uncle Hari's lips. He always got his sick pleasure from my suffering. "Oh Nieci. I believe that you are lying to me. From what I saw, it seemed as if you and Bankotsu were flirting with each other. It sure didn't look like harmless fun to me. Hmph. Flirting with a man you barely know. Nieci that's something a whore would do. Are you a whore Nieci?" I bit my lip as I shook my head no, but once again Uncle Hari struck me in the face. This time I fell to the floor from the impact. Uncle Hari let out a dark laugh. "You're wrong Nieci. You ARE a whore. You're my whore and mine alone. You don't go around flirting with random men letting them know how easy you are."

"But I wasn't..." Uncle Hari grabbed me by my arm, jerked me to my feet and slammed me against the wall, knocking the wind out of me. Once again, he slapped me but he held me up so I wouldn't fall.

"I didn't give you permission to talk did I...whore?" he growled. I shook my head no, tears clouding my eyes. Another smirk formed at his lips. "Like I was saying, you don't go around flirting with a man you don't know, letting them know how easy you are. You don't want to get raped do you?" I shook my head once again. His smirk widened as I felt one of his hands slip under my kimono and into my underwear. He instantly began to stroke me but the feeling felt so wrong like it always did. "Do you know how many men would kill for this Nieci? Just to have your sexy, naked body up against them. Oh Nieci. You're so weak and its very easy for another man to rape you. So you shouldn't go around acting like a whore around these savage men. Bankotsu doesn't want to be your friend. All he wants to do is have his way with you. Don't you see that I'm only trying to protect you from harm?" I slowly nodded my head as I tightly closed my eyes wishing that I was anywhere else but here. "Good girl, but you know, you can be a whore for one man. And that's me." He slowly began to undress me. "See what I like about you Nieci, is that you know how to turn a man on. The way you act all innocent and helpless. That is incredibly sexy. See, you already got me worked up." I followed his eyes all the way down to his pants but quickly averted them when I saw what he was talking about. Uncle Hari lightly chuckled as he grabbed me by my chin and turned my head around to face him again. His cold eyes filled with lust. "Mmmm...now you're putting on the shy act. Very sexy. You must want me to give it to you huh? Mmmm...I knew you were a whore. A dirty, filthy whore. Alright then, if you insist." By that time I was completely unclothed. Uncle Hari grabbed me by an arm and threw me over on his bed. The tears never did stop flowing down my face as he had his way once again. Dammit how I hated this man, but there was nothing that I could do. He had practically everyone wrapped around his finger so nobody was brave enough to come up against him.

After a couple of minutes, Uncle Hari climaxed and fell ontop of me in exhaustion. He looked at me once again with lust filled eyes and an evil smirk on his face. "See. Now aren't you glad that you can get pleasure from someone you trust rather than a savage, merciless killer like Bankotsu?" What pleasure was he talking about? I never received pleasure from sex. Not that I should anyway considering that he was my uncle. All sex ever brought me was pain and misery. Why people considered this enjoyable I didn't know. No I wasn't glad that you violated me once again! Everything in me screamed no, but I nodded my head in fear of being struck again. He let out another dark chuckle. He got out of the bed and began to redress. "You know, I feel kind of sorry for Bankotsu. That he'll never get to experience what you have to offer, yet I get to experience it on a regular basis. Hmph, poor lad." After he finished putting his kimono on, he walked to the door and unlocked it with his key. "You stay right here until I'm done with my meeting. Don't even move a muscle. I've still got a lot of energy left and I need that tender body to take it out on." He laughed to himself once again as he shut the door and locked it. I eyed the door with both hatred and hurt burning in my heart. Who would have thought that the man I grew up admiring would be the same man to hurt me on a daily basis. I hated Uncle Hari. I despised him with every fiber in my soul and I only hope that one day, he will get what's coming to him.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Nieci wait a minute!" I turned around to see Bankotsu running over to me. I stopped and gave him a soft smile.

"Good morning Bankotsu," I said.

"Good morning. Say, why weren't you at dinner last night?"

"Oh, I wasn't feeling very well so I stayed in my room all night," I lied.

"Hmmm...Lord Minamoto left early too because he was sick. There wouldn't happen to be anything going around would there?"

"I wouldn't have the slightest clue."

"But you are feeling okay today right?"

"Mmmm, well better than I was."

"So you can hang out with me today huh? I don't have to do anything in the protection area and I am bored as hell. I would like for someone to keep me company." I hesitated saying yes. I did want to spend some time with him, but what if Uncle Hari saw me with him?

"Nah. I'd rather not."

"What's wrong with me? Do I smell? Am I really i that /i ugly? Does this outfit make my butt look big or something." I laughed as he checked himself out, only joking of course.

"No its none of those things. I just don't think its such a good idea."

"Awww come on Nieci, I thought we were friends. Don't make a grown man beg because I will if I have to."

"But Bankotsu, I..." He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around my legs like a child.

"Pleeeeease Nieci? Pleeeease? Don't make me spend another minute with these pathetic soldiers. Please let me spend some time with a normal person. Pretty, pretty please?" He stared up at me with big puppy dog eyes, obviously joking around. I laughed at him as I slowly reached down and patted his head.

"Okay, I guess I could spend sometime with you." He looked back up at me and smiled when I had said yes. He got back to his feet and grabbed my hands with his.

"Alright then. Sorry you had to see that, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." I softly smiled at him and he did likewise. He started to walk off as he took me along with him, still holding my hand. "Come on. Let's go fishing."

"Fishing?"

"Don't tell me you're one of those prissy castle princesses. Why after how I saw you handled my Banryu yesterday, I thought that you were a little tougher than that." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I wasn't always a so called 'prissy princess'. I know how to fish." Another grin formed at his lips.

"Well excuse the hell out of me. My mistake." I smiled back as I followed him down the path to a nearby river.

It was so calm and peaceful outdoors. The sun was bright in the sky, the air cool and crisp, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. A very beautiful day. Just what I needed to take my mind off of my evil uncle. Bankotsu and I sat on a rock next to the stream as we held onto our respected fishing poles. I looked over at Bankotsu as he stared at the water.

"So Bankotsu. Tell me about the Band of Seven." A small smile formed at his lips again.

"The Band of Seven huh? Well, where do I start? There is Kyokotsu, Ginkotsu, Mukotsu, Renkotsu, Suikotsu, and Jakotsu."

"Really? That's cool how all of your names end in 'Kotsu'."

"They are just battle names for us. My real name is Ed."

"Are you serious?"

"No." I let out a soft chuckle. "Kyokotsu is the biggest of us, but also the weakest. He uses his brute strength to fight. Then there is Ginkotsu. He has a suit of armor that uses heavy artillery in battle. Mukotsu is the poison master. He isn't really a sight for sore eyes, but he is one hell of an asset to our group. Renkotsu is second in comand, only ranked below me. He is the smartest of all of us and he uses fire as his main offense. Then there is Suikotsu. Whew! How do I explain him? Suikotsu is kind of a mystery."

"A mystery?"

"Yeah. See, he has a split personality. At times he is this sweet, loving doctor who's only main goal in life is to heal. Then at other times he is this ruthless, killing machine with so much bloodlust it even scares me sometime. He is one man that you don't want to make your enemy."

"Wow."

"Then there is Jakotsu. Oh my is he something else. You know, I really can't describe Jakotsu. He's just one of those people that you have to meet for yourself. But I can tell you this, he is one hell of a fighter. You see, he wields this snake like sword called the Jakotsuto and it is a beast. You'll have to see it to believe it."

"All of these guys sound dangerous."

"They are."

"I see. So Bankotsu, if I was a memeber of the Band of Seven, what would be my battle name?" He turned and looked me in my eyes. He stared at me for a minute before he turned away smiling.

"You would be called Kawaiikotsu and your main weapon would be bunny rabbits and sugar plums." My mouth hung open as that was an apparent diss.

"Excuse me? Just what do you take me for? I am tougher than you think."

"Oh yeah? Hit me with your best shot." I pulled my fishing pole out of the water and laid it on the ground. I then turned back to him and gave him a hard smack on the arm. His eyes widened as he pulled his pole out the water too. He grabbed his arm and winced in pain. "Owwwwww...that hurt." I knew he was only joking though. I smiled as I hit him again. "You damn bully. Picking on a poor defenseless man. What kind of Lady are you?"

"The kind that can whoop your ass."

"Ohhhhh big talker. Do it then." I smiled as I launged at him, causing him to fall on his back. I climbed on top of him and started to wrestle him, just like I used to do with my dad. Bankotsu smirked as he easily flipped me over, holding my wrists with his strong hands as I struggled to get loose. "Come on Nieci is that all you got?"

"Not hardly." After a few more moments of struggle, I managed to get from underneath him and knocked him over on his back again. We continued to play fight in the grass for several minutes until Bankotsu decided that he had had enough and pinned me to the ground for the 'victory'.

"You're not half bad Kawaiikotsu," he smirked. I smirked back.

"Hey what can I say. I am my father's daughter."

"Your father?"

"The late Sargeant Mokoto Kasugi."

"THE Mokoto Kasugi?"

"Yeah. You heard of him?"

"Hell yeah. He is a legend among warriors. He was one of the top fighters in the Japanese army. A very skilled assassin. Are you really his daughter?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Wow. Damn, I'm honored to be in your presence. I must hug you." I lightly chuckled as he got off of me and pulled me to a sitting position by my wrists. He moved closer to me as he wrapped his big strong arms around me. "Awesome. Its like when I hug you, I'm hugging a part of Mokoto Kasugi. Yeaahhhh, this is great." I smiled and shook my head as I hugged him back. Boy it felt really nice to be this close to him again. He smelled so good too. I was begining to develop a small crush on him. It was really sweet, but our moment was cut short as all of a sudden, I started to hear low growling. We both separated as we began to examine our surroundings. Bankotsu stood up and held a hand out to me pulling me to my feet. He picked up Banryu and took a defensive stance. Moments later, a big ogre like demon came out of the nearby woods.

"Grrrrrrrr...I must have human blood!" he growled as he started running at us.

"Heh! Like hell you will!" Bankotsu started running toward the demon. He jumped into the air, swinging Banryu high above his head, and brought it crashing down on the demon. He cut the demon in half and it instantly disappeared. Bankotsu swung the weapon over his shoulder as he turned around and smirked. "Hmph. 983."

"Huh? 983?"

"Yes. As of right now, I have killed 983 demons and 876 humans with Banryu here." My eyes widened when he said that. That was almost a grand total of two thousand lives. He truly was an assassin.

"Thank you for saving me."

"Meh. No problem." He walked back over to me and smiled. "After all, I couldn't let Mokoto Kasugi's daughter get harmed now could I. As of right now, my new mission is to protect you from danger. After all, your father was my hero growing up." I could feel myself blushing as I eyed the ground. Bankotsu then lifted my chin so that we were face to face. "You know, Kawaiikotsu does fit you well." Oh no. That made me blush even harder. I averted my eyes again as I was really embaressed now. Bankotsu laughed as he let my face go. "Come now, its getting late. We should head back to the castle." I nodded my head as I took the hand he held out to me. We began to walk away with our fishing poles not catching a single fish, but little did I know that I had just caught something better.


	6. Chapter 6

My return to the castle with Bankotsu late that evening was indeed a safe one. Uncle Hari was currently away from the castle on some business and wouldn't return until very late night. I was glad that he was gone for if he had seen me walking with Bankotsu, I would have surely felt his wrath again. I was glad that I had spent the day with Bankotsu. We had really become good friends. It was nice to have someone to interact with who I knew wasn't the least bit afraid of my uncle. Maybe Bankotsu could be the one to save me from him. Maybe I should tell Bankotsu what kind of man my uncle was. "Ahhh, I am starving. I hope that they have dinner ready," Bankotsu suddenly cried out, rubbing his stomach.

"I'm pretty sure that Yoko has something already going. She is a pretty good cook," I said

"Is that so?"

"Mmmhmm. She can cook almost as good as my mother used to. My mom was an awesome cook too."

"You know, your parents seemed like quite the people. I bet you really miss them huh?" I softly smiled and nodded my head. I did miss them. A LOT. More than anyone could ever know. I felt foolish for taking them for granted like I did. Hating our life because we didn't always have the best things. I'd rather be poor and happy than rich and miserable anyday.

When we entered the castle dining room, some of Uncle Hari's advisors were already there at the table. I looked at them very nervous for I knew that they would tell my uncle that I had been with Bankotsu. A few of them gave me an evil smirk confirming my suspicions. A chill came over me for I knew that I would be faced with another beating tonight. "Mmmm, this all looks good," Bankotsu said as he took a seat at the table. He eyed the food like he had never eaten in his entire life. I smiled to myself as I sat down beside him. "Damn where do I start?"

"Try the leaks Sir Bankotsu. They are quite delicious," one of the advisors politely recommended. Uncle Hari's staff was extra nice to Bankotsu than they were to anyone else. They all knew that he was a strong ally to have and they would all be damned if they made him angry.

"Nah. I'm not one for vegetables. Ah ,here we go!" He reached across the table and grabbed a big piece of steak with his fork. He immediately tore into it like some savage beast, causing me to chuckle a little. "Mmmm...thish ish good. Mmmm Nieshi you have ta try it." I grinned again as I took a piece of steak from the serving plate. I tasted a small piece of the food with my fork. It was really good. I turned to Bankotsu and nodded my head. He in turn smiled back. Noticing our behavior towards one another one of the advisors cleared his throat as a warning. I turned my head to him and he gave me a sly smirk. I immediately turned my eyes to my plate of food, not wanting to hold his look. Damn I hated Uncle Hari's advisors. They weren't much better than he was. They also enjoyed making my life a living hell. Bankotsu noticed my change in composure as he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright Nieci?" I nodded my head, my eyes never leaving the plate of food. "Are you sure. You don't look too good. Are you still feeling a little sick?"

"No, I'm fine. Really." I turned to him and smiled to reassure him. He narrowed his eyes at me before turning his head back to his plate of food.

"Alright, if you insist." I don't think that he believed me, but hey what could I do. Bankotsu picked his fork back up and was about to start eating again, when all of a sudden there was the sound of a trumpet.

"What's that?!" one of the advisors said very concerned. He immediately rose from the table and went outside to see what the commotion was about. After a minute or so, he ran back inside with a paniced look on his face. "Sir Bankotsu! The castle! Its under attack!" Bankotsu turned back to his food and growled.

"Dammit! Why do we have to be under attack at dinner time!" He slammed his eating utensils on the table and stood up from the table. He picked up Banryu and smirked. "I guess I could use a work out though. Nieci, you go deep within the castle away from harm alright?"

"Sure," I said as I also got up from the table. I did as he said and immediately went upstairs to my bedroom.

As soon as I entered my room, I went to my window to look down at the confrontation that was about to take place. I gasped when I saw how many soldiers that the opposing castle had. At least two hundred men. We only had fifty soldiers on the castle grounds at this time for the rest of the soldiers were away training. Bankotsu didn't appear the least bit concerned however. He actually looked like he was having fun.

"So who dare disturbs my dinner?" he asked the crowd of men.

"We are here on the orders of Lord Sanyo. He ordered us to take seize of Lord Minamoto's castle," one of the officials proclaimed.

"Is that so? We'll I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that. You see, Lord Minamoto hired me to help defend this place. So you see how letting you take control of his castle might hurt my chances of getting paid."

"Heh! Do you think that we care about your measly little earnings."

"You must not know who I am or you would definitely take the bass out of your voice. I am Bankotsu. The leader of the Band of Seven. I would retreat now if I were you, less you value your life."

"Hmph. It doesn't matter who you are. The order has been given. Now...attack!!" The opposing army immediately began to swarm Bankotsu and our own soldiers. Still, Bankotsu didn't seemed to be phased.

"Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you." He took Banryu and went charging toward the first wave of soldiers, killing every single one of them. I watched in amazement as Bankotsu took down every initial soldier one by one. They didn't even stand a chance against him. After the first wave of soldiers had been defeated, Bankotsu stopped one more time to warn the opposing castle. "Is that all you got for me. Then this will be easier than I already thought."

"Next wave!" the opponent cried out. Even more soldiers came running towards the castle. Battle cries filling the air. Bankotsu turned around to our own soldiers.

"Don't just stand there! Fight!" he yelled. The soldiers all nodded their head as they followed him into the swarm of men. One by one the opponent fell prey to the vicious Banryu. They did manage to hurt Bankotsu a little, but his wounds didn't seem to slow him down. In fact, they seemed to fire him up even more. "898, 899, 900, 901..." Bankotsu continued to count as he defeated each opponent with his blade. It was unbelieveable. There wasn't no stopping this man. He was a fighting machine. But Bankotsu was preocupied with the frontal opposition, he didn't see as a soldier crept up behind him with a hidden blade.

"Look out Bankotsu!" I cried from my window, hoping that he could hear me amongst the clashing metal. He must have heard my warning as he turned around but only to get impaled in his side by the sharp blade. I gasped as I saw the blood starting to pour from his body, yet Bankotsu still didn't slow down.

"Sneaky bastard!" he growled before killing the soldier, "hmph. 902." When the battle was all over, Bankotsu had increased his record to 913 from the previous 876. "Fools. Did they really think that they could defeat me?" he victoriously proclaimed as he slammed Banryu's blade into the earth. He then turned to me and looked at me through my window and smiled. "You're safe and sound now Lady Nieci." I looked down at him and smiled back, but my smiled faded as Bankotsu suddenly dropped to his knees apparently from all of the blood that he lost.

"Bankotsu! Are you all right Sir?!" the soldiers cried out as they rushed over to him. I immediatley ran out of my room and headed down the stairs to make sure that he was okay. But before I could make it outside, the soldiers were already carrying him inside. My eyes widened as I saw him from a close distance. He was covered in blood and dirt and was now unconscious. The men carried him to his room in the far end of the castle. I was about to follow them, but something, or shall I say someone stopped me.

"What the hell went on here?!" a deep voice boomed. I turned around to see that Uncle Hari had returned with the rest of his advisors.

"Lord Minamoto," a servant cried as he bowed before his feet, "the castle was under attack and Bankotsu protected us from harm."

"Is that so?"

"Yes but he was also injured in the process." The unpleasant look on my uncle's face only grew worse as he and the rest of the advisors marched pass me and down the hall to Bankotsu's room slamming the door behind them. I seriously hoped that Bankotsu was okay, but I couldn't check on him as long as my uncle was around.


	7. Chapter 7

I got out of bed really early the next morning, hoping to see Bankotsu before my uncle found out where I had been. I quietly tip toed downstairs on my way to his bedroom to see how he was. When I reached his door, I knocked on it. "Come in," I heard him say from the other side. I slowly opened the door. I saw Bankotsu lying in his bed, the top half of his body covered in bandages. He smiled when he saw me. "Nieci."

"Good morning Bankotsu. I just came to see how you were doing."

"Awww I'm okay. Don't let these bandages fool you. I'm fine." He tried to sit up, but grimaced in pain. I ran over to his bed and helped him lie back down. He looked up at me and smiled. "Okay. Okay, maybe I'm a little hurt, but trust me its nothing too serious."

"You still shouldn't strain yourself."

"I'm a warrior. No injury is too great for me to overcome."

"It's pretty hard to overcome death, Bankotsu."

"Ouch. Touche...Well, I suppose you're right though." I smiled at him again. Just then, the door swung open. It was Uncle Hari. Oh no! I was in trouble now. I instantly froze up as I saw his tall, slender form standing in the doorway. His eyes roamed from me, to Bankotsu, back to me again. Once again they held anger as they seemed to be piercing right through me. "Ahhh Lord Minamoto. First your niece, now you. Aww you guys are such caring people. So what do I owe the pleasure?" Uncle Hari entered the room, shutting the door behind him. At least I was safe in here with Bankotsu. He wouldn't dare strike me in front of him.

"I just finished talking with your doctor," he began, "he told me that it would be about a week before your injuries were completely healed up."

"A week? I don't need a week to get better. I should be fine by tomorrow."

"No I won't here of it. After all, you are my best warrior. I can't have you in too much bad shape."

"Sigh Fine, I'll stay here in this bed. All alone. With noone to talk to while the rest of you have your fun. Go on, leave me. I'll be okay...all...alone." Uncle Hari let out a deep sigh at Bankotsu's pitiful statement.

"If you want some company I can send some of the soldiers to spend some time with you. I'll even send for the doctor again if you want me to."

"I don't want either of them to keep me company. I've got a better person in mind that would be perfect for the job."

"Oh yeah? And who might that be?"

"She's standing right in front of us." Whoa. A surge of uncomfortability went through me as both Uncle Hari and Bankotsu's eyes were on me. Uncle's Hari's eyes had once again hardened whereas Bankotsu's were just as soft as can be.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," my uncle said.

"I can see why you would be reluctant to let her stay with me, but rest assured Lord Minamoto, I promise that your niece will be in good hands. Its not like I can harm her in my condition anyways." Uncle Hari still had the cold look on his face as his eyes shot daggers at me. I could tell that he was extremely pissed off that Bankotsu wanted me to stay with him, but he couldn't deny him what he wanted. After all, Bankotsu was a valuable asset to the castle.

"Very well," he darkly said as he turned around and slammed the door shut. Bankotsu narrowed his eyes at the door.

"What's gotten into him?...sheesh!" I shruged my shoulders and smiled in reply. Yes! I finally get to spend some time with Bankotsu and my uncle can't do a damn thing about it. Bankotsu then turned his eyes on me. "So I guess that you're going to be my doctor for the next couple of days huh?"

"I guess so."

"I've always wanted to have a cute female doctor take care of me. I'm usually stuck with cute males." I laughed at that comment.

"You're the only person I know that can crack jokes when they're hurt," I said.

"Oh yeah that's right I am hurt aren't I?"

"Like you forgot."

"Its like when I look into your eyes, the pain goes away."

"You are so full of crap you know that right?"

"So I've been told." I laughed again and so did he. Just then, he stuck his finger out and motioned for me to come closer. I slid over closer to him on his bed. "Do you really wanna play doctor with me?" he asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Of course," I said a slight smile forming at my lips.

"Well you do know that the doctor is supposed to do anything that the patient asks right?" his voice getting more seductive with each word he said.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, my voice imitating his.

"I've had this...issue for weeks now doctor that I need you to take care of."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," his eyes now matched his voice. He stuck his hand out and began to lightly stroke my hand. "You see doctor. Its a major ailment. It causes my temperature to rise at night and makes me have all of these...interesting dreams." I was beginning to get out of the moment now. What was Bankotsu suggesting? I took a deep breath.

"What is this problem?"

"Ohhh I'd much rather show you than tell you. Can you please fix it doctor? I really need your help." His voice was very husky now. He also had begun to stroke my arm more fervently. I began to get uncomfortable. I couldn't believe it, but maybe Uncle Hari was right about what he said about Bankotsu. I softly nodded my head. "Good. Doctor I need you to go down on me...and rub my feet cause they are absolutely killing me."

"Huh?!" Before I knew it he had swung his leg around and put it in my lap. I let out a laugh as I felt relieved now. "Is that what you wanted?"

"Yeah. What did you think I want?" I blushed, embaressed to tell him, but Bankotsu figured it out. "Why doctor! You should really cleanse those naughty thoughts of yours. You could get in trouble for things like that."

"What else was I supposed to think with you talking like that?"

"Talking like what?" I rolled my eyes and smiled.

"Ha ha joke's over Bankotsu." He began to laugh out loud.

"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. Seriously though could you get me something to drink?"

"Now that I can do." I got off of the bed and left his room on my way to the kitchen. These next few days with Bankotsu were going to be quite interesting.


	8. Chapter 8

After about five days Bankotsu's wounds began to heal up. I had did all that I could to help make his recovery more enjoyable. His real doctor had come to visit him while he was still down and told him that once his wounds were fully closed up, he could go back to work since he was so restless. We had also gotten closer over that time period as well. I had gotten to know more about his past and everything and why he became a mercenary. Bankotsu staying at the castle was the best thing that happened to me since I came to live here three years ago. He was nice, funny, and sweet among other things. But there was one thing that clouded my time with him and that was my uncle. Every night when Bankotsu would go to sleep, my uncle would come get me from my room and take me back to his own room and abuse me. The abuse was worse than it usually was because I was spending so much time with Bankotsu. I didn't tell Bankotsu about it for my uncle told me that he would have him killed if I did. Ever since we became friends it seemed as if my uncle's jealousy was out of control. I honestly didn't think that my body could take much more.

"Nieci wait I have something for you!" Bankotsu called out to me the day that he went back to work. It was now late afternoon and the sun would be setting soon. I turned around to see him practically running over to me.

"What is it?" I asked smiling.

"Unh uh. You have to close your eyes first." I took a big sigh and closed my eyes. "Stick out your hand." I stuck out my hand. He put something very light in it. "Okay you can open them." I opened my eyes to see a bright yellow flower. A big smile formed at my lips.

"Awww thank you," I cried.

"Nieci what happened to your eye?" he suddenly asked me. His face now had a serious expression rather than the cheerful one he wore just a few seconds ago. I had forgotten about the black eye that my uncle had given me earlier. I slowly put a hand up and touched it.

"Oh...um...I tripped and fell on a rock," I lied. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I am clumsy you know."

"Can't argue about that...say, why don't we take a walk or something?"

"Don't you still have to train soldiers?"

"I was done with that hours ago. So what do you say?" I briefly looked around me to make sure that no servants or advisors were nearby.

"Alright," I finally said.

"Great," he said with a big smile. We started to walk off towards the woods.

It was so peaceful out here in these woods. The sun was now beginning to set and the sky was various shades of orange, yellow, blue, and pinks. We made general conversation, nothing too special, but I could tell that Bankotsu had something on his mind.

"So, what was your father like?" Bankotsu asked.

"Well, he was strict, smart, a loving father, sweet, pretty much what a father should be."

"Did he want you to follow in his footsteps and become an assassin too?"

"Nah. He didn't think that it was in my best interests. I'm not really a fighter."

"I can see...but you know, you don't have to be a fighter to defend yourself."

"What do you mean?" He stopped walking and turned to me. His eyes very serious.

"I mean, that you shouldn't let people push you around if you can help it. Never put yourself in the position where one person can control your fate in life. You have to be strong or else you will be eaten alive in this hard, cruel world." I stared into his dark eyes wondering why he was telling me this.

"Bankotsu...I..."

"Don't be freaked out. Something within me just told me to tell you that. I don't know why, but I feel that you could use that advice." I continued to stare into his eyes. He was right, I did need that advice but I was also wondering if he knew why I needed it. Does he know? Just then, I heard the sound of a horse quickly approaching us. We both turned around to see that one of Uncle Hari's advisors was riding toward us. He stopped in front of us and gave me an evil smirk.

"Lord Minamoto wants to see you right away so get on," he coldly said.

"What for?" Bankotsu asked.

"Its a private matter, I hope you understand," the advisor said.

"I see," Bankotsu replied. I eyed the ground and bit my lip. My uncle must have found out that I had snuck off with Bankotsu. Which meant another beating. I hesitated a bit before mounting the horse behind him. We started to ride off to the castle.

br

Bankotsu's POV

Something very fishy is going on within the Minamoto castle . She said that she got that black eye from falling on a rock, but that looked more like an injury from getting hit. She frequently misses dinner too. She claims that she has been sick, but she doesn't show any signs of sickness at other times. Even that night when I found her in the woods, she claimed that she was just restless and came to the woods to relax, yet she was running very hard like she was trying to escape something. Something isn't adding up and its time that I found out what it was.


	9. Chapter 9

When I came to my uncle's door, I was very nervous. My whole body was shaking with fear and I didn't know what he was going to do. I might as well face him now for if I waited, the punishment would only be worse. I took a hand and knocked on the door. "Come in," my uncle's voice boomed from the other side. I slowly opened the door and walked inside. My uncle's eyes were full of anger and stared holes right through me.

"You wanted to see me?" my voice was only a whisper.

"Close the door," he demanded. I nodded my head and shut the door behind me. My uncle then got off the bed and walked over to me. My heart was racing in my chest as I feared what he might do to me. He narrowed his eyes at me, before locking the door with his key. I really began to panic now for there was no way out. My uncle's rage had been at greater levels since the last few days and I was scared to death that he might try to kill me. I remained completely silent as I stared at my uncle's back. What was he thinking about? "Nieci," he finally spoke after a while, "what were you doing in the woods with Bankotsu?" I swallowed hard. So he did know where I had been. I stared at the floor with out saying a word. "I asked you a question!" my uncle hissed, still facing the door. I tried to speak, but the words didn't come out. My uncle then turned around and smacked me in the face so hard that it caused me to lose my balance. I gasped as I hit the hard wooden floor. "I asked for an explanation Nieci and you disobey me with your arrogant silence! Just who do you think you are?!"

"I...I'm sorry Unc..." I tried to sqeak out the words, but he cut me off with a tight pull on my hair.

"Get up!" he snapped at me as he pulled me to my feet with my hair. The tears began to form in my eyes for he was really hurting me. "Wench! 'Sorry' can only work so many times! You keep saying you're sorry, but yet you keep on defying me by spending time with that brute. I guess I have to be tougher on you before you can LEARN!" He pushed me hard against the wall. The wind left me as I hit it with a loud thud and sank to the floor. Blood began to flow out my mouth. "I said GET UP!" He walked over to me and jerked me back to my feet by my wrists. I began to get really dizzy as I stared into my uncle's cold, heartless eyes. "I know what you were doing in those woods. You were being a little whore again!"

"No I wa..."

"Silence!" he slapped me again. He then pushed me up against the wall and wrapped a strong hand around my neck, beginning to choke me. "Once again you're disobeying me by opening that mouth when you're not supposed to! I bet that's what you did to Bankotsu too!" I struggled against him trying to break free. If I didn't get away, Uncle Hari would surely kill me. I wrapped my hands around his arms, trying to get him off of me. He just laughed very evily. "Ku ku ku! You think you can stop me?!"

"Help! Someone please help!" I squeaked out but my voice wasn't loud enough to hear.

"Oh I'll help you alright!" my uncle roared. He then slung me over to the bed. I tried to get up from it, but my uncle pulled me back down. I continued to cry out for help as my uncle pinned me to the bed. He slapped me again, telling me to be quiet but I couldn't be silent anymore.

"Someone help me please!" I cried, a little louder this time.

"Give it up Nieci! Who is foolish enough to come against me?!" He began to undo my kimono. I continued to struggle hoping that somebody would come get him off of me, but the door was locked and only he had the key. I tightly closed my eyes as I realized that I would be raped once again, but just then, I heard a loud noise causing my eyes to snap open. It was the door. It had been split open and Bankotsu now stood in the light that was gradually filling the room. Bankotsu stared at the scene before him with a look of both shock and anger. My uncle quickly got off of me and tried to put his kimono back on.

"Bankotsu. Wh..." he was cut off by a fist to the face. My uncle hit the floor from the impact.

"Vile beast," Bankotsu growled as he now hovered over him. My uncle held a hand to his cheek.

"How dare you? Do you know who I am?!"

"You are a pathetic excuse for a man. That's what you are!" he lifted my uncle by his collar and threw him against the wall. My uncle hit the hard floor with a thud. "What you can hit a woman, but you can't hit a man?!" Bankotsu yelled. My uncle glared at him with pure hatred as he struggled to get to his feet.

"Imputent fool! You work for me!" he growled.

"Not anymore." He turned his head and walked over to me. He gave me a look of concern before picking me up in his arms. He then turned back to my uncle. "I cannot work for a man who will do this to his own kin. May you rot in hell." He turned around and began to walk out with me, but the guards were now blocking the doorway. He narrowed his dark eyes at them. "Stand down of I will not hesitate to slay you," he warned.

"I'm sorry but we cannot," one of the guards said.

"Hmph. Then you leave me with no choice." He shifted me until he was holding me with one arm. He then picked up Banryu with the other and proceeded to kill the three guards in our way. "Hmph. 917." He then turned his head to me. "Are you alright Nieci?" I shook my head no. "Then we must leave at once." He stepped over the dead guards as he carried me and Banryu out of the castle. As we began to walk out of the castle gates, I could hear my uncle's cold voice calling at us from his bedroom window.

"Mark my words! You two just started a war you cannot finish! I swear on my father's grave that I shall have your heads! I WILL TAKE YOU OUT AND THAT'S A PROMISE!!!!"


	10. Chapter 10

I stayed really close to Bankotsu as we began to walk through some very thick woods far away from the castle. I had regained some of my strength back and was feeling a little better. I couldn't believe that I was actually free from my uncle's control. Bankotsu pretty much saved my life.

"Thank you, Bankotsu," I said to him. He turned to look at me with a questioning look.

"For what?"

"For saving me." He turned his head away.

"Its nothing. I was just helping a friend that was in trouble." I smiled at his modesty. I moved closer to him and wrapped my arms around his arm. He slightly gasped and looked down at me.

"Still, thank you." He turned his head away again.

"So how long had that been going on?"

"It began probably like a month after I first arrived at the castle, so like three years."

"And you didn't tell anyone about it?"

"Oh everyone knew but noone was brave enough to stop him."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because he said that he would kill you if I did."

"Feh! Can't count how many times I heard that. So you didn't tell on him because you was trying to protect me?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"But that's supposed to be my job," he stopped walking and turned to look me straight in the eyes, "I'm supposed to be looking out for you, not the other way around. You shouldn't have prolonged your danger just for my sake. I can handle myself. Its you that concerns me. Promise me that if anyone should threaten you like that again you'll come tell me. I am your friend you know." I stared at his dark eyes, filled with compassion. He was very sincere in his words and I really felt like crying. Nobody had ever acted that way towards me since my father. I bit my lip holding back the tears as I nodded my head. Bankotsu smiled back. He reached down and cupped my hands in his. "Come on, we'll be there soon."

After several more minutes of walking through the woods, we finally came across a small house. It was deeply hidden, like it was a secret hideout or something. This must have been where the Band of Seven lived. Bankotsu led me to the door and knocked on it. After a few seconds the door swung open.

"Ah! Bankotsu!" a man with lipstick and a lavender kimono cried out, cupping his hands together. Bankotsu softly smiled in reply.

"Hey Jakotsu. I see you missed me."

"Mmmhmm mmmhmm," Jakotsu furiously nodded his head in reply, "hey everyone! Bankotsu's back!" Jakotsu turned back around to face us. He narrowed his eyes when he saw me. "Who's the woman?" he asked, like he was disgusted by me. Bankotsu turned to look at me as well.

"Oh this is Nieci. She will be staying with us." I looked at him confused.

"I am?"

"Well of course you are. I can't have you sleeping in the woods now can I?" I smiled and nodded in reply.

"Geez Bankotsu you go away in order to make a little cash and all you bring back is a woman? What were there no cute men at that castle?" Jakotsu asked grumpily.

"Gee I didn't really pay attention. I'll make sure that I'll go shopping for them next time," Bankotsu sarcastically replied.

"That's all I ask."

"I don't know Jakotsu, this girl looks mighty good to me," a voice suddenly said. I looked pass Jakotsu and saw that a short, pale man with a white mask covering the lower half of his face. He walked passed Jakotsu and stuck a hand out to touch me. I gasped as I quickly got behind Bankotsu. Bankotsu then narrowed his eyes at the little man.

"Back off Mukotsu. This girl will not be touched by anyone, less you answer to me." By that time, the rest of the Band of Seven members had arrived at the door.

"Big Brother. Back so soon?" a tall bald man asked.

"Yeah. Things didn't quite work out at the castle."

"So who's the broad?" a rough, dangerous looking man asked, glaring daggers at me. Fear shot up my spine. Bankotsu looked at me and softly smiled.

"Don't be afraid. You're among friends here," he said. I nodded my head, but wasn't real convinced. Bankotsu then turned back to his group. "Gentlemen, this is Nieci Kasugi. She's the one and only daughter of THE Mokoto Kasugi." Jakotsu's eyes widened at that statement.

"No way you're Mokoto Kasugi's daughter?!" he cried out.

"Yes she is," Bankotsu replied, "she's not bad for a woman now, eh Jakotsu? Anyways, Nieci will be staying with us for a while. She's been having a hard time. We currently have a certain lord after us and Nieci needs to be protected. So not one of you shall lay a finger on her. Got it?!"

"Yes Big Brother."

"Sure, whatever."

"Gessh."

"Ku ku ku. I'll guess I'll have to find another pretty lady to be my bride."

"Pfft! Yeah right, she's a woman."

"Very well then."

"That's more like it," Bankotsu said after all of the men had agreed to it. He then turned his head to me. "Come on, I'll show you to my room. You'll be sleeping with me." I slightly tensed up when he said that. Bankotsu softly smiled, noticing how uneasy I had become. "laughs Come on Nieci, you should know me better than that. Don't worry I won't put a hand on you. Maybe a tounge though." I tensed up even more. "I'm kidding! I promise that you'll be in good hands...wait, what I meant was I know how to take care of you...hold on what I meant to say was..."

"Its okay. I believe you," I said cutting him off before he dug his whole even deeper. I followed Bankotsu and the rest of the men in the house and shut the door behind me.


	11. Chapter 11

Although Bankotsu had ordered his men to be cordial to me, I couldn't help but get vibes like they didn't want me there. Like they really were only nice to me because their 'Big Brother' made them to. Yet and still, I did feel safe around them. I wondered how long Bankotsu would allow me to stay with him. His generosity was greatly appreciated, but I didn't want to impose on anybody.

After I washed up in the bath house and put on the kimono that Bankotsu sent Renkotsu to get for me, I walked back to the main house and went to Bankotsu's bedroom. I stopped and eyed the door hesitantly before knocking on it. "Come in," I heard Bankotsu say. I slowly slid the door open and my eyes fell upon Bankotsu who was already lying in the bed. He sat up and smiled at me. I could feel butterflies in my stomach as stared upon him, half naked. "Wow, Renkotsu picked out a nice kimono. It suits you well." I nervously smiled. "laughs Don't look so scared. I'm not going to do anything. I promise. Now come to bed." He pulled the covers back and patted the spot next to him. I didn't move and inch. "Sighs If it'll make you feel better, I'll sleep on the floor." I stared at him intensly, trying to see if I could detect any mal intention. I couldn't see any.

"That's okay," my voice cracked. I slowly walked to the bed and climbed in with him. Bankotsu smiled and I did likewise. He pulled the covers back up over us and leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the forehead, making me blush.

"Sweet dreams, Lady Nieci," he sweetly said before blowing the candle out.

"Sweet dreams," I replied with a yawn. A few minutes later, I was fast asleep.

Lord Minamoto's POV

"That wench thinks that she can one up me by seducing that barbarian Bankotsu so he will do her every will?! She has a lot of nerve! Damn her!" I was pacing around my office, wanting nothing more than to take a knife to both Nieci and Bankotsu's backs.

"M'Lord, what are your intentions?" my top advisor, Jiro Mezuma asked me.

"What do you think?! Nieci and Bankotsu shall be slain for their trangressions against me!"

"M'Lord, please calm down. Its not very good for your health."

"Damn that right now! My reputation as a leader is a stake here!"

"O...Of course. I'm sorry M'Lord." Just then, there was a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I snapped, very irritated right now. The door slid open and I gazed upon Sargeant Takahashi. He entered and bowed before me. "Have you completed the task?" I coldly asked.

"Yes M'Lord. The soldiers are on the way right now," he humbly replied. I smirked as I turned to look out the window. Hmph. Think you can pull a fast one on me Nieci, eh? Well, two can play at that game.

Back 2 Nieci

Klop Klop Klop Klop Klop Klop Klop Klop

I awoke to a sudden sound coming from outside the house. I sat up in bed and stared into the darkness, trying to concentrate on the sound. It sounded just like horse hoofs. Could my uncle be making good on his promise?

"Bankotsu! Bankotsu wake up!" I loudly whispered as I shook him.

"Huh? Whaaa?" he groggily said

"Bankotsu do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" He yawned and opened his eyes, looking at me confused.

"Shhh. Listen." We were both silent for a few seconds.

"Those are horses."

"Exactly."

"So what?"

"What if they're soldiers from my uncle's castle. You remember what he said when we left."

"Don't be so worried. Get some rest okay." He turned from me and laid back down on his pillow.

"Bankotsu I'm serious. Once Uncle Hari declares that he wants something he will move hell and earth just to get it." He yawned again before sitting back up. He softly smiled as he stared at my worried face.

"Fine. If it makes you feel better, I'll go check things out."

"Thank you." He got out of bed, put on his kimono top, and armor and got Banryu. He exited the room. I waited patiently for him to come back, hoping that he would tell me that everything is fine.

"Jakotsu! Kyokotsu! Mukotsu! Suikotsu! Renkotsu! Ginkotsu! Everyone wake up! Were under attack!" I could hear Bankotsu's voice yelling after about a minute or two. So I was right. I stared at the door with wide eyes as Bankotsu busted through it. "Nieci, you stay in here where its safe. Don't leave this room." He sternly ordered me. I nodded my head in reply as Bankotsu rushed out the room again. I got out of the bed and went to the solitary window in Bankotsu's room to see what my uncle had done. I gasped when I saw the scene. The ground was covered with soldiers. Sixty, no seventy, no more than that. I began to panic. Seventy plus men versus only seven? That was ten men for each member of the Band of Seven. Talk about an uneven battle.

"I take it that that snake Minamoto sent you clowns here to take back Nieci huh?" Bankotsu growled when he and the rest of the Band of Seven had made it outside.

"That's right," Sargeant Takahashi confirmed, "after we kill you of course."

"Hmph. I'd like to see you try."

"Front line attack!"

"Let me handle this!" Jakotsu cried out as he drew his sword. He swung the blade once and killed the whole front line of soldiers. I gasped as I saw this. How was he able to kill that many men in one sweep?! The Band of Seven truly was stronger than any of Uncle Hari's men. I could tell that Sargeant Takahashi had become uneasy, seeing so many of his men slain in one strike. Jakotsu chuckled as he licked the blood off his sword. "Come on! I want a real fight!" he roared.

"Full assault!" Sargeant Takahashi ordered. All of the soldiers came charging at Bankotsu and the others and the Band of Seven charged right back.

As I watched the fight, I was impressed by the Band of Seven's skills. Jakotsu and his snake like sword, Mukotsu and his poison, Renkotsu using fire, Ginkotsu's armor, Kyokotsu's strength, Suikotsu and his bloodlust, and of course Bankotsu and Banryu. I had never seen any group of men fight like them before. It really was a phenonmenal sight.

"Ku ku ku! Die you damn bastards!" Suikotsu cried out as he continued to slay soldiers.

"Gessh. Die," Ginkotsu repeated.

"I shall devour you all!" Kyokotsu growled as he launched at some soldiers.

"Kyokotsu watch out!" Renkotsu cried out suddenly.

"Hunh?" Kyokotsu turned around to see a soldier with an extremely long sword flying at him.

"Get out the way Kyokotsu!" Renkotsu yelled again, but the enormous man was too slow to avoid the piercing blade as it went right through his heart. Kyokotsu let out a loud groan of pain as he proceeded to kill the soldier who had stabbed him. He then fell to the hard earth with a loud thud. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"Kyokotsu! Dammit!" Bankotsu cried as he rushed over to his fallen comrade.

"Audacious fools!" Jakotsu cried out as he slayed even more soldiers with his retractable sword. After seeing that he was losing too many men, and that his own life was now in danger, Sargeant Takahashi decided to retreat from the battle.

"Let's go me!" he ordered as he and the surviving soldiers left the grounds. I turned my eyes on Kyokotsu who laid in the dirt very still. Uncle Hari had just claimed his first victim.

Meanwhile at the Castle

"Lord Minamoto! Lord Minamoto!" Jiro came rushing into my bedroom, waking me from my slumber.

"What is it?!" I snapped.

"I've just receieved word from Sargeant Takahashi that they managed to kill a member of the Shichinintai. The one who goes by Kyokotsu." I smirked, feeling very pleased.

"Thank you Jiro. That'll be all."

"Yes M'Lord," Jiro bowed before closing the door behind him. I laid back down on my pillow staring at the ceiling feeling very confident. One down, seven more to go.


	12. Chapter 12

After the death of Kyokotsu, Bankotsu, the rest of the Band of Seven, and myself decided to relocate to another village, far from where the Band of Seven's orginal hideout was. We took up residence in a small, house after Suikotsu and Jakotsu had killed its previous residents. Every since Kyokotsu was murdered, the rest of the Band of Seven members had increasingly become distant toward me. Bankotsu told me not to be concerned about it, for they were always suspicious of strangers.

It had now been about a month since Bankotsu had first resuced me from my Uncle Hari. My uncle hadn't attacked us since that night, so it seemed as if our new hideout was a good one. Over the time period that I had been living with the Band of Seven, Bankotsu and I had become closer. Even closer than we already were, and I was starting to develop major feelings for the guy. I never acted upon them or told Bankotsu about them though, for I didn't want to ruin our friendship with one another. I just really enjoyed being around him. He was handsome, protective, sweet, funny, and a good friend. Since the death of my parents, he had become the best thing to happen to me in my tribulous life. But I wondered how long I would be able to hold back my true feelings for him.

"Good morning Nieci," Bankotsu said to me one sunny, spring morning. I was still in bed as I adjusted my eyes to the sunlight to see that Bankotsu was standing over me. I had felt him get up about an hour ago, but I was too lazy to get up myself. We still slept in the same room. He insisted that we did until my uncle was defeated so he could give me better protection. I didn't have any complaints about that. Bankotsu was always the perfect gentleman around me.

"Good morning," I replied with a yawn.

"Get dressed. Lets go take a walk, shall we?" I nodded my head and smiled.

"Yeah. That sounds good." He smiled back as he left the room again, shutting the door behind him. I climbed out of bed and went to the closet to pull out one of the many kimonos Bankotsu had got for me since all my clothes and things were still at the castle. I decided to wear the yellow one with the baby blue flowers. That seemed to be his favorite. I put on some sandals, pulled my hair back, and left to go find Bankotsu.

"So have you enjoyed your time with me?" he asked me as we began to walk through some woods. I turned to him and smiled.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. Living in a house full of rough edged men doesn't seem like something a Lady wouldn't enjoy."

"Well, I'm really not a Lady anymore and you have to remember who my father was."

"Oh yeah, that's right. I guess Kasugi-sama did have his rough side."

"He certainly did, but never towards me and my mom. Just to men. You know, you kind of remind me of him."

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm. You're rough to your Band of Seven comrades but you show nothing but kindness and love towards me. Plus you're a really good fighter, and a hell of a leader." My compliments made him slightly blush. "I think that my father would have loved you." He blushed harder and smiled. I smiled back. "Hey, my home village is not too far off. Would you like to see where I grew up?"

"I would love to." I smiled as I took his hand in mine and started to lead him to my home.

When we finally arrived at my home village, I was shocked to see the sight before me. The small village was destroyed. Homes were burned and ran through, debris was everywhere. Clear signs of an invasion. Could this have been the work of my uncle. I raced down the big hill to the village, Bankotsu telling me to wait up. I immediately ran down the pathways to the home where I grew up in. Sure enough my mother and father's home was burnt to a crisp. Feelings of sadness began to swarm in my heart. I just knew that this was the work of my uncle. He was going to make everyone associated with me suffer for me betraying him. I looked at the chaos around me, tears swelling up in my eyes. I started to walk further and further down the pathways until I readched the village graveyard. I walked up to my mother's grave and let out a small sigh. It was untouched and it even had fresh flowers put on it. No doubt from the villagers. I stared down at my mom's grave feeling nothing but misery. I bit my lip to hold back tears. Tears of anger, hurt, sadness, guilt. By that time, Bankotsu had caught up with me and now stood right by my side.

"It seems as if this attack happened not too long ago," Bankotsu softly said. He looked at me with sadness in his eyes, "are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," I lied. He then turned to look down at the grave we were standing in front of.

"Is this your dad's grave?" I shook my head.

"No. My mom's. My dad died on the battle field and they buried him there." We were silent for a while. My heart was filled with grief and sorrow. I had never missed my mother and father like I did right now. I needed them so badly, yet I couldn't reach them. I couldn't even hug them let alone tell them I love them. And with that, I broke the silence with my tears. Bankotsu turned to look at me concerned.

"You're not alright," he said. I shook my head no as the tear drops fell on my mom's grave.

"I...I miss...them so much," I said between sobs, "I feel so guilty right now. I took both of them forgranted and didn't really appreciate them like I should have while they were still alive. I hated our life because we were poor and I didn't have things like the other kids did. After my father died, my mom worked so hard to keep food on the table and I never even thanked her for it. Even when she became really sick, she still did her best to take care of me, even neglecting her own self. Yet I still despised that we were poor. I'm so selfish Bankotsu. This is all my fault that the village is gone too. I should have just stayed with Uncle Hari at the castle."

"No," Bankotsu said as he wrapped his arms around me. I began to cry on his shoulder. "You shouldn't say things like that. Its not your fault that this happened. We both know that Hari is an evil son of a bitch. If you would have stayed at that castle you would have been hurt even worse than you had been and you could have died. You shouldn't blame yourself for leaving. And as for your mom, I'm sure that she knew deep down in her heart that you loved her. Sometimes people's desires can get in the way of the important things in life and cloud their judgement. You shouldn't blame yourself for feeling the need to get out of poverty. I'm sure that your mom didn't hold any ill will to you because of your feelings and I'm sure that your father would hate to see you crying right now." My tears started to subside after Bankotsu talked to me and I began to feel slightly better. He had said exactly what I needed to hear. I pulled my face off of his chest and stared into his soft eyes. He smiled at me and began to stroke my hair. As I looked at his face, my heart began to race in my chest. Then I did something unexpected. I reached up and put my hands on his face and pulled him down to my lips. I closed my eyes tightly, as I kissed his soft lips, but he didn't kiss me back. After about a few seconds I broke the kiss, shocked at what I had just done.

"I...I'm so sorry Bankotsu," I stammered. I was blushing from embarassment. I quickly turned around and began to walk away, when I felt a hand around my wrist. I turned my head around and saw that Bankotsu still had that same soft look on his face. He then pulled me back to him, wrapped his arms around me, and gave me a real kiss. So sweet and so tender. I closed my eyes and put my arms around his neck. I kissed him back with the same emotions as he did with me. After a minute or so, Bankotsu broke the kiss. He stared down at me with loving eyes.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to kiss you Nieci. I just never did because after I found out what Lord Minamoto did to you, I didn't want you to think that I was trying to take advantage of you." I looked up at him and smiled. Tears once again began to flow down my face but this time they were tears of joy. He took a hand and wiped them away. He then leaned down to kiss me again. Right then and there I realized that he had become more than just a friend.


	13. Chapter 13

Bankotsu and I were all smiles as we walked hand in hand back to the Band of Seven hideout. When we came up to the house, we saw Jakotsu sitting out on the front porch, giving us a disgusted look. Bankotsu noticed it and smirked at his friend. "Nice to see you too, Jakotsu," he sarcastically said.

"Hmph. I just don't see what all the fuss is about women," he said.

"No, I guess you wouldn't would you?" He turned and gave me a quick peck on the lips.

"Bleh! I'm going to go before I lose my lunch." We both slighly giggled as the flamboyant man scurried into the house. Bankotsu then turned back to me.

"Well, I can see what all the fuss is about." I smiled at him. He leaned down and gave me another kiss. I absolutely LOVED the way he kissed me. So sweet and innocent, but with a small hint of passion. He had to have had the softest lips in the world. Becoming his woman didn't sound bad at all.

* * *

**Lord Minamoto's POV**

"M'Lord, we have found out where the Shichinintai have relocated to," Jiro said to me after barging into my office unanounced. He had better been glad that his news was beneficial to me or he would have been punished.

"Oh yeah? So where are they?" I snapped

"Not too far from the Suhitzo Village. Sargeant Takahasi is currently on his way. He says that he has aquired stronger soldiers since his last encounter with the Shichinintai. He believes that this time they can take the entire Shichinintai out, including Nieci."

"No. I don't want Nieci killed just yet. Have her brought back to the castle alive. I shall kill her personally. Although there are some things that I want to do to her first." Jiro smirked very evily.

"Like what kinds of things M'Lord?"

"Do you need to ask? I'm going to remind her who runs things around here. I miss that soft body of hers. The other women can't compare to what she's working with. She is addictive."

"M'Lord, pardon me for asking, but do you ever feel bad for doing that to your sister's daughter?" I laughed at the absurdity of his question.

"My dear Jiro, the answer is no. My sister, Keiko, was only half related to me. By my father. I counted her out of the family when she married that scoundrel Mokoto Kasugi. A woman of the Minamoto family marrying a barbarian like that is inexcuseable. So when father passed and I became Lord of this castle, I banished Keiko away from the castle and deep in the mountains. I see that the apple doesn't fall from the tree, what with Nieci's apparent interest towards Bankotsu and all. So do I feel bad about beating and raping Nieci? No. In fact, I quite enjoyed it. The way she would cry and beg for mercy. Seeing the fear in her eyes and knowing that she was too weak to stop me. Seeing the pain and misery on her beautiful face when I would have my way with her body. I enjoyed all of it. It seems like the perfect revenge against her whore of a mother and that scum Mokoto Kasugi does it not? Ku ku ku! I've dominated the great Mokoto Kasugi's daughter. How rich is that!" Jiro laughed along with me.

"You never cease to amaze me M'Lord," he said, "I'll make sure that I'll get her back here safe and sound for you."

"And as a reward, I might let you have a go round with her as well. You know, just to get a taste of what I've felt for three long years."

"That sounds wonderful M'Lord." He rose from the table and bowed before leaving my office. I smirked to myself as I revisited all of those nights I had spent with that girl. Oh Nieci. How foolish you were to betray me. When I see you again, I shall make you pay.

* * *

**Back to Nieci**

"So how long have you felt this way towards me Nieci?" Bankotsu asked me when we were sitting out in the front yard. We were descaling fish for our dinner. I shrugged my shoulders as I held a grey fish in my hand.

"A while I guess."

"Me too. Ever since I had gotten injured and you took care of me."

"I guess that's when my feelings started too."

"So what do you like about me huh? Is it because I'm just so damn goodlooking?" I laughed.

"...That's part of the reason, but I also like your personality." He smiled back.

"Same here. You're both beautiful on the inside and out. Its just a shame that a nice girl like you had to go through the hell that you went through." I softly smiled and nodded my head.

_KLOP KLOP KLOP KLOP_

Bankotsu and I looked up from the fish when we suddenly heard the sound of horse thunder. It could only be one person behind this and that was my uncle. "Nieci, hurry and get inside," Bankotsu ordered me. I nodded my head and ran inside with the fish. Bankotsu then ran to the doorway. "Men! Comeon! It seems as if we have some unwanted guests comming to pay us a visit!" The rest of the Band of Seven instantly rushed out of the door with their respective weapons. I went to Mukotsu and Jakotsu's room in order to watch the fight out their window. After a few more minutes, the soldiers came into view and stopped a few feet away from the Band of Seven.

"Ahhh Bankotsu. I see we meet again," Sargeant Takahashi smugly said with a smirk.

"Heh! You brought more weak soldiers for me to slay? Fine. I'd love to bring my total up from the 931 that I have."

"Don't be so sure Bankotsu. See since our first encounter, I've made some adjustments to my army. I now have stronger soldiers and they're more skilled. Well, you'll see for yourself."

"Blah blah blah," Jakotsu interupted, "are we gonna talk or are we gonna fight. Aww hell nevermind." He then sent the Jakotsuto at the soldiers, killing about twenty in one strike. When he drew the snake like sword back, a small smirk played at his lips. "Stronger eh? Hmph! Were at?" Sargeant Takahashi didn't lose his composure though.

"Attack!" he cried out. Once again a battle began to ensue between Uncle Hari's soldiers and the Band of Seven. It was obvious that my uncle's soldiers had become better, but they were still no match for Bankotsu and the others. Well, except for one. By the time the battle was over, Ginkotsu had been killed. Uncle Hari had claimed his second member of the Band of Seven, and I couldn't help but feel that this was all my fault.

As we all began to walk to find another location to hide out in, everyone was very silent. I thought that they were so quiet because they were upset because of Ginkotsu's death, but what I didn't know was that it was because they were angry with me.

We finally came to a stop by a brook and we decided to take a rest there. As me and Bankotsu sat a little away from the others, Renkotsu came up to us. "Excuse me Big Brother, but we would like to have a word with you," he said.

"What for?" Bankotsu asked, a little annoyed.

"Please come Big Brother." He turned to me and sighed.

"I'll be right back," he said before kissing me. I nodded and watched him walk off with his friends.

* * *

**Bankotsu's POV**

"So what do you want?" I asked, annoyed that they had pulled me away from Nieci.

"We want you to ditch the girl," Jakotsu said.

"What?!"

"Big Brother, her presence is a threat to us all, including you. If we continue to keep her, we will all be killed," Renkotsu said

"Have you lost your minds? I'm not abandoning Nieci and that's final!"

"I love a pretty woman as much as the next healthy man, but that girl is pure poison Bankotsu. And I know poison," Mukotsu said, confirming that he was siding with the others.

"Nieci is staying!"

"That broad's got you whipped Bankotsu," Suikotsu said, "you really aren't being a good leader."

"Please Big Brother. Its what's best for the group."

"Best for the group!" I snapped, "what about what's best for her?! You expect me to just leave the woman I care deeply for to die. Because that's exactly what will happen if she's caught. So what if we have a few battles here and there. We're strong enough to beat Lord Minamoto and his troops. Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu just weren't strong enough, bottom line!"

"Big Brother you must be reasonable! We have no other choice," Renkotsu cried. I squeezed my eyes tightly trying to hold back my anger. But then it hit me. Yeah...that was it!

"There IS another choice," I told my men. It would be difficult, but very rewarding if it was a sucess. She has to be willing to do it though, but something tells me that she will. Whether she likes it or not the blood of an assassin flows through her veins. Its time that Mokoto Kasugi's daughter lived up to her last name.


	14. Chapter 14

After Bankotsu had finished up talking to the rest of the Band of Seven, he came back over to where I was. I looked up at him and smiled and he smiled back. He extended a hand out to me, offering to help me up. I accepted his hand and he pulled me to my feet in one swift move. "We need to talk," he said as he started to walk away. I followed him and began to walk with him down a trail side by side.

"What is it?" I asked. He slightly laughed to himself.

"You know what Nieci, as nice of a girl that you are, some people still do not like you. Its funny actually." I hung my head down feeling bad.

"That's not funny."

"I didn't mean it like that. I mean its funny because the mere fact that some one dislikes you is completely ridiculous. It seems as if my comrades want to get rid of you." I looked back up at him with sad eyes.

"Really?"

"Yes...how does that make you feel inside?"

"Sad, but I can understand why they would feel that way. It was my uncle who caused Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu deaths."

"Okay. How do you feel inside when you think about your uncle?" I looked at him confused. Why was he asking me these things?

"Hurt."

"Why?"

"Because I thought that he should have loved me like a family member instead of a slave. He should have treated me with more kindness."

"Is that the only emotion you feel?"

"I guess I feel anger towards him too."

"Why?"

"Because he beat me and raped me almost every night. Whenever I made the slightest mistake, like waking up too late or speaking without permisson he would hit me for it. And then when he would rape me, he claimed that he did it because he didn't want another man to hurt me, but I knew better. He was hurting me himself." I was getting more and more upset as I relived those horrible nights I had spent with him.

"Do you hate your uncle?" I was silent for a few moments.

"Yes," I growled, "as a matter of fact, yes I do."

"Good. Then that is the first step." I looked at him really confused.

"First step?" He stopped walking and turned to look at me face to face.

"You are Mokoto Kasugi's daughter. Your father was a take no prisoners kind of man. At least he was on the battlefield. I don't think that Kasugi-sama would want his child to be treated like this. I don't think that your dad would want you to let some man walk all over you and treat you like dirt. No, in fact, I would think that he would probably kill the man who even did it to you. Am I right?" I thought about it for a moment. I remembered how my father used to protect me and my mother from bandits and other criminals like that.

"Yeah, you're right," I said, "so what are you getting at?"

"Your father might be dead and gone, but his blood still courses through your veins. You have a reputation to live up to. Basically what I'm saying is that you were born to be an assassin, Nieci." I looked up at him with wide eyes. Me?! An assassin?! He had to be out of his mind!

"Are you crazy? I'm not an assassin!" I cried.

"No you're not, but you can be. I will train you."

"I don't know Bankotsu."

"If I were to hit you right now what would you do?" I gasped. I turned my eyes to the ground. I would probably cry, honestly.

"You really won't hit me will you?" I asked, nervous. Sure enough, Bankotsu slapped me in the face. I fell to the earth from the impact. Just as I had expected, my eyes teared up. I stared back up at him with cloudy eyes. "Bankotsu? How could you?" I sobbed. He stared down at me with cold eyes.

"You didn't even try to stop me. I can see how easy it was for Lord Minamoto to dominate you. Is this what you want Nieci?! To be pushed around like this?! Because that is exactly what will happen if you don't learn how to defend yourself!" His voice was very loud and cold. "Just think about it Nieci. All the times Lord Minamoto hit you. How he stole your innocence. How he would violate you night after night and enjoy doing it. How he had no regards for your well being as he repeatedly beat you. The black eyes, the blood, the scars, the bruises. Think about how he would call you a whore and then made you act like one. You must have wanted him to do all of that, considering how you didn't even try to stop my strike. You truly are a disgrace to the Kasugi legacy!"

"You're wrong!" I yelled back at him, "I never wanted that bastard to do those things to me! I didn't know anyway out! If I would have fought back he would have killed me! And who the hell are you to talk about how I'm disgracing my father's legacy. You didn't even know him like I did." I got back to my feet, now very angry. Bankotsu looked at me and smirked.

"So now what will you do, little girl? Are you going to cry and run home? I'm sure Lord Minamoto would LOVE to have you back so he can rape you again. Oh wait I forgot, you like those kinds of things don't you...whore?" I narrowed my eyes at him. He was acting just like my uncle. He claims to care about me, yet he says such cruel things. By that time, I had done had it with all of these men thinking that they can just push me around. And with that thought, I lashed out and hit Bankotsu back. He staggered backward a little from the force of my strike. He covered his face in his hand. I was breathing very heavily as I stared daggers at him. When Bankotsu removed his hand, his face now wore its original soft expression. "You're ready he said. You can now become an assassin. You just needed to get that anger out. So do you want your revenge against your uncle." My temperature was rising and I was still breathing heavily. I was remembering everything that Hari had done to me. The beatings, the rapings, the way he would sometimes keep me from eating dinner. Hari had to get a taste of his own medicine.

"Yesss," I hissed out. As soon as I said my answer, Bankotsu ran back over to me and gave me a big hug. I gasped for I was startled by his action. He instantly began to rub my cheek where he had hit me.

"I'm sooooo sorry Nieci," he said, remorsefully, "you don't know how hard it was for me to act like that, but I had to do it. I am so damn sorry. I really am. I didn't even mean to hit you that hard. I am SORRY! Please forgive me!" He then began to kiss that same cheek as he hugged me tighter. I smiled for I could tell that he meant it and was sincere.

"Of course I forgive you," I said, smiling at him. He smiled back, with a look of relief on his face. He then brought his lips to mine and gave me another wonderful kiss.

The next day, I began to train with Bankotsu. The art of assassinism (Me:lol) was pretty hard. I had to do a lot of strength building and had to work on my speed and agility. After I had gotten that taken care of, Bankotsu began to teach me some martial arts so I could become a better fighter. It was tiresome and very weary on my body, but the fear of being dominated again kept me going. I was determined to not let anyone treat me like the way Hari had done.

After about a month and a half, my martial arts skills were pretty formidable. It was now time to choose my weapon. Bankotsu took me to a local shop that sold all kinds of weapons. "Choose which ever one feels right. If an assassin can't feel their weapon, then they can't use it," Bankotsu told me. I nodded my head as I began to look at the many, many weapons on the walls. And then it caught my eye.

"Right there. The meteor hammer," I said as I pointed to the weapon, high on the wall. Bankotsu's eyebrows raised as he followed my finger to the weapon.

"Interesting. Not a sword kind of girl, eh?" he said. I slightly grinned as I shook my head no. "Damn, I'm impressed," he said as he stood in a chair and got the weapon down for me. As soon as my fingers touched the ball and chain I knew it was the right weapon for me. I turned to Bankotsu and smirked and he did too. After we paid for the weapon and also the armor that I needed, we began to walk back home to the hideout.

"So I guess that you have officially become the first lady of the Band of Seven," Bankotsu said to me as I sat on his bed. He entered the room with a bowl of ink. I smiled at him.

"Yeah I guess I am."

"Then I guess that we should dawn you with an official Band of Seven name. I mean, Nieci isn't quite intimidating enough." I laughed.

"Oh, so I guess 'Kawaiikotsu' is?" He laughed too, remembering that day when he told me that he would name me that.

"No no. Kawaiikotsu won't do either. How about...Fukushuukotsu?" I thought about it for a moment.

"Fukushuu means 'revenge' right?" He nodded his head. I smirked. "That's the perfect name for me then." He smiled back as he sat on the bed with me. He put his fingers in the red ink and dawned me with a marking that meant revenge on my forehead. He blowed on the ink, trying to make it dry faster. I giggled at the feeling. He then moved back to look me in my eyes.

"Make your father proud," he said before kissing me. I put my arms around him, deepening the kiss. After a few minutes of that, we finally separated lips. He put the red ink away and we both got in bed for the night.

"Goodnight Nieci," he said lightly kissing me again.

"Goodnight," I replied. He leaned over and blew the candle out. I laid back down on my pillow smirking to myself in the darkness. After three long years of abuse, I was finally going to give my uncle the payback that he deserved. Personally. Ha Ha! Oh Hari, that ass is mine!


	15. Chapter 15

The next night, Bankotsu and I decided to do a little night raid on Hari's castle. We didn't tell the rest of the guys about it though. We began to walk through the dark woods on our way to pay Hari a visit. I was more than prepared for battle. I had on the black and purple armor that Bankotsu got for me and I had my weapon in my hands. I was also mentally ready for combat. I was prepared to beat Hari to a bloody pulp, but I was still uncertain if I would be able to take his life. Even though I had become 'Fukushuukotsu' now, underneath it all, I was still Nieci and Nieci could never kill anybody.

After a few more moments of walking, the castle came into view. Bankotsu and I hid in some nearby bushes as we planned our attack strategy. There weren't that many guards around, which had to mean that Hari wasn't there, but I was pretty sure that some advisors were home though. "Okay here is the plan," I whispered to Bankotsu, "I'm going to go around back and sneak in the castle through my old bedroom. I need you to distract the guards though. Do you think that you can handle them by yourself?" He turned to me and smirked.

"What do you think? Those guards don't look that strong. My total will rise from 942 to 947." I smirked back.

"All right, I'll meet you back here then."

"Done deal." I got up from my squating position and began to sneak off, but Bankotsu stopped me. He brought me closer to him and gave me a passionate kiss and of course I kissed him back. After about a minute or so, he broke it and looked me in my eyes. "If anything should happen, just know that I love you very much, okay?" he said. I gasped. He had told me that he loved me! I seriously felt like crying.

"Oh...Oh Bankotsu," I softly said, my eyes slightly wet.

"Oh no Nieci! Please don't get emotional. Now is _not_ the time."

"Then you shouldn't have kissed me then!" I cried, punching him in the chest. I tried my best to hold back tears of joy. He laughed back. "I love you too Bankotsu."

"That's all I needed to hear. Now go." I nodded my head and snuck away.

My trip around the castle had been a success. I guess Bankotsu really did kill those guards. I took a rope and hook that I had brought along with me and threw it up to my old bedroom window which was on the third floor. The hook had done its job and clamped around the bars of the window. As soon as I knew that the rope was secure, I began to climb up it, while walking on the wall. When I had reached my window ledge, I used the meteor hammer to break the bars and I climbed in my old room. The little moonlight that lit the dark room was enough to let me see that the room had been untouched since I first escaped nearly three months ago. I walked to my door and exited the bedroom. I immediately began walking to Hari's bedroom. I turned the knob, but it was locked. I leaned my head against the door to see if I could hear anything. I didn't. The door had since been repaired since Bankotsu first broke it, but I was about to damage it again. I took the meteor hammer and began to swing one of the weighted balls over my head. I then sent the ball careening through the wooden door. The door split wide open. I looked through it to see that the room was indeed empty. I sighed deeply and pouted. All that work for nothing. "Who's there?!" I heard a voice all of a sudden say. I turned around to see that Sasuke Fujima, one of Hari's advisors was now standing in the hall with me with a sword. I smirked sligthly when I saw his face. He smirked back. "Ahhhh Nieci. Just the woman we've all been wanting to see."

"Hmph. I'm sure that you have. Where is Hari? I demand to know right now."

"Chuckles Your uncle isn't here right now, he's away on business."

"More like cowaring in fear. I'm not stupid. I know that Hari is hiding out for he fears that Bankotsu will come after him for killing Kyokotsu and Ginkotsu."

"My my, I guess that you are more than just a pretty face. But mainly a pretty face though." I sneered at his comment, which caused him to laugh. "Oh my. I always did think that you looked irresistable when you're angry. I wonder how you'll look after I've had the chance to experience what M'Lord has." His snide remarks fueled my fire once more. Like the others, Fujima knew what Hari had been doing to me but they never attempted to stop him. In fact, some of them wished that he would let them get in on the action. They were no better than my uncle was. So since I couldn't take Hari out tonight, Sasuke Fujima would do just fine. I swung the ball of my weapon over my head and sent it flying into Fujima's chest. He immediately fell backward and slid a few feet backward from the impact of the weapon. I obviously had damaged something for blood began to run out his mouth. He weakly stood back up and gripped his sword tighter. "Damn you wench!" he growled, wiping the blood away. He began to run at me with the sharp blade, but I was quick enough to dodge the katana. I slid under his legs and quickly jumped to my feet. Before he could turn around, I kicked him in the back of the head with my foot. He flew into the wall and hit the brick with his face. As he slid to the ground, he left a trail of blood on the wall. I slowly walked over to him, very cautious. I then turned him over with my foot and saw that his nose was busted and he also had hit his head. He was now too weak to fight and barely concious. I smirked as I knelt down over him.

"I want you to deliver a message for me Fujima. Tell Hari that he had better be on his toes because I'm comming for his ass. Not Bankotsu. Not the Band of Seven. But me. I shall kill your lord personally. Why? Because I am Fukushuukotsu, the First Lady of the Band of Seven, and you bastards better remember that." I then punched him in his face, sealing his unconciousness. I smirked as I stood victoriously over my first defeated opponent. And as I viewed his blood that now stained my hands, I now realized that I would be able to kill Hari and not feel any guilt about it. Its just a matter of time. As he so aptly put it when he talked about abusing me, I _will _kill him and I'll enjoy doing it too.


	16. Chapter 16

After defeating Fujima, I snuck back out of the castle and ran back to the woods where Bankotsu and I had agreed to meet each other. When I came across the bush that we were previously hiding in, Bankotsu was already there waiting on me. He turned to me and smiled. "What took you so long?"

"What do you mean what took me so long? I was only in there for about fifteen minutes."

"I was done with those guards in about three minutes. I've been waiting back here for you ever since."

"My, well excuse me then."

"I take it Hari wasn't in the castle."

"No, he wasn't."

"Then whose blood do you have on your hands?" I looked down at my hands and slightly smirked.

"One of Hari's advisors, got in my way." Bankotsu's face lit up.

"Did you kill him?" I shook my head no.

"No, I wanted him to deliver a message to Hari for me, so I just knocked him out." He nodded his head in reply. I looked back down at my hands. "Let's go so I can get this blood off of me cause this is pretty nasty." Bankotsu laughed out loud.  
"Alright then. You know what, there is a hot spring not too far away. I think that we need to relax after a good fight."

"Sounds good to me," I said. We began to walk off from the castle, into the night.

The hot spring was very warm and steamy. I dipped my foot in the warm water and it felt so good that I just had to bathe in it. I put my weapon down and removed my armor and laid that in the grass too. Bankotsu also removed his armor and put Banryu down. I looked at him very uncomfortably for I knew that he was planning on getting in with me. Sure enough he began to remove his kimono top and now stood before me half naked. I knew that my face was now as red as a beet as I quickly turned my head away. Bankotsu looked at my shyness and laughed out loud. "I mean, I knew that I was sexy but damn."

"Shut up!"

"Oh come on Nieci, don't be shy. When two people love each other, its okay." I gasped. He had said it again. I slowly turned my head around.

"Do you really love me Bankotsu?"

"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I. You are truly the greatest woman in the world. I love every inch of you." I smiled big at him.

"Oh Bankotsu. I love you too," I said as I pulled him down for a kiss. He deepened it and began to caress my back. He gripped the back of my kimono with his strong hand as we kissed even more passionately. He took a hand and lowered the collar of my kimono to my shoulders. He then moved his lips from mine to my neck and began to kiss me there. My body immediately tensed up. I knew what all this would lead to, and I didn't want that. I pulled away from him with him looking slightly disappointed.

"Too soon?" he asked me. I nodded my head. "That's fine. I can wait until you are ready." I nodded again. To tell the truth, I didn't think that I would ever be ready. After all that Hari had done to me, I didn't ever want to have relations with a man ever again. Sex brings nothing but pain and sorrow and its absolutely pointless for me to engage in it. Even with Bankotsu. I began to pull my kimono back up over my shoulders, but Bankotsu grabbed my hands to stop me. "Go ahead. You can use the hotspring first. I'll wait over there for you," he said as he pointed to a rock a ways away. I nodded my head in reply. He smiled back and kissed me on my forehead before walking away.

After we had both finished washing up in the hotsprings, we began to walk home to our hideout. That warm relaxing bath was just what I needed after my encounter with Sasuke Fujima, but I was still anxious to fight my uncle himself and reek my revenge on his evil self. As we walked down the trail, we saw some figures in the shadows walking toward us. It looked as if it were three men. Bankotsu and I stopped walking and got into a defensive stance just in case they were bandits or some of Hari's men. As the figures got closer, we saw that they weren't hostile, but our allies. "Renkotsu? Suikotsu? Jakotsu? What are you all doing out here?" Bankotsu asked lowering Banryu. The guys looked very tired and they had blood on their clothes.

"Did you guys get into a battle?" I asked Renkotsu. Renkotsu just narrowed his eyes at me and turned to Bankotsu. The Band of Seven still didn't like me.

"Big Brother, we were attacked at the house."

"Really now. By Lord Hari Minamoto's men no doubt," Bankotsu said.

"Yes, but they were led by another man this time. He seemed quite strong. He had long brown hair, fair skin, brown eyes, and freckles." I gasped. That fit the description of my uncle.

"Hmph. So Lord Minamoto showed up himself huh?" Bankotsu said smirking.

"Yes Big Brother, and he killed Mukotsu too."

"Mukotsu's dead?!"

"Yes." Bankotsu turned away and looked up at the sky. I walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Bankotsu?" I said with concern. He put his hand over mine and looked at me and smiled.

"It seems that like you, your uncle has been training too. I guess that he realized that with each Band of Seven member he has killed, his life becomes in greater danger. He must be pretty strong if he had the confidence to show up to fight with his own soldiers. Maybe we should have stayed at the house. At least then you could have killed Hari."

"So he's gotten stronger. I'm sure that he's no match for me," I said with a smile, trying to reassure both of us.

"Chuckles No, I guess not." He leaned down and gave me another kiss.

"Oh go away with that would ya!" Jakotsu hollered at us. We both turned around and smiled.

"So what are we going to do now?" Suikotsu asked.

"Same thing we have been doing, only with more intensity. Kyokotsu. Ginkotsu. Mukotsu. We shall avenge their deaths," Bankotsu said.

"Yes Big Brother."

"Sounds good to me."

"Sure, whatever."

"Alright then. But first things first, we need to find somewhere to sleep tonight, far from the area, so lets get going." We all began to follow Bankotsu toward the direction from where he and I had come from.

* * *

**Lord Minamoto's POV**

"Fujima! Who did this to you?!" I cried out to one of my top advisors when I returned home from killing another one of the Shichinintai. He was laying in the hallway of the top floor near my bedroom, who's door had been split in half.

"Fu...Fu...Fukushuukotsu," he gasped out.

"Fukushuukotsu?" I asked confused, "You mean that there is another member of the Shichinintai that we don't know about? Well, what does he look like."

"Nieci."

"He looks like Nieci?"

"No...Fukushuukotsu...is Nieci." I gasped as I rose from my fallen advisor's side. Nieci was able to do this to Fujima?! Sasuke Fujima is no laughing matter, yet she inflicted damage on him like he was just a play thing. Interesting. So the Shichinintai have been training in the ways of the blade. Hmmm...interesting indeed.

"Yokohama!" I cried out to another one of my advisors. Kane Yokohama was one of the top ninjas in all of Japan. After a few seconds, he came running into the hallway.

"Yes M'Lord?" he said bowing.

"I want you to find the one who goes by 'Fukushuukotsu' and have her brought back here to the castle! TONIGHT! Know that if you should fail, I shall have your life."

"Yes M'Lord." He bowed once more and immediately left. I smirked to myself. Sooo Nieci. You're trying to play with the big boys now huh? Hmph. We'll see how long that lasts.


	17. Chapter 17

After we didn't come across any villages after some time, Bankotsu decided that we should just take refuge in the woods for tonight. We found a nice spot far from the main road to sleep at. Bankotsu and I moved a little further away from the other guys. We laid down on the hard earth, facing the same direction with his arms wrapped around me. "I bet three months ago you didn't think that you would ruffing it out here in the woods did you?" I smiled as I rubbed his big hands that were around my waist.

"No I didn't, but I am glad that I'm here with you. The man I love so much."

"The man you love so much not to give any to."

"Bankotsuuuu," I growled.

"Kidding! I'm just messing around with you. I understand why you would be leary about being intimate with me, but I know that you won't be able to resist me for too long. I'm just too damn sexy." I laughed and he did too. He moved in closer and kissed me on the back of my neck. "Goodnight love. Make sure that your dreams of me aren't too naughty."

"I think I should be telling you that." He lightly chuckled as he kissed me again. A few minutes later we were both fast asleep.

A few hours later, I awoke with a slight pressure inside of me. I managed to wiggle out of Bankotsu's arms without waking him. He was a very heavy sleeper. I walked several feet away from the sleeping men and went behind a big bush in order to relieve myself. It was extremely dark outside, the moon barely lighting the earth. After using the bathroom, I refixed my clothes and began to walk back to where the Band of Seven was. Just as I took about two steps, a rope with a weight around it found itself around my legs and I fell face first to the ground. Before I even had a chance to react, I saw a very dark form come up to me and hit me with a brick, knocking me out.

I woke up in a daze. My head throbbing in pain. I looked around me and everything was blury. The last thing I remembered was being knocked over the head with a brick. "Ugggh...Bankotsu? Where are you?" I said, very dazed.

"Ku ku ku. Bankotsu isn't here right now...Fukushuukotsu." Gasp That voice! I knew that voice. I opened my eyes wider trying to rid myself of my blurry vision. After a few seconds, my surroundings came into view. I was in my uncle's bedroom and I was also tied to a chair. I looked up and saw Hari standing over by the door. His arms crossed and a very slick smile on his face.

"Hari," I growled.

"Oh? Its 'Hari' now? Not 'Uncle Hari'? My my, I see that spending time with the Band of Seven has made you disrespectful Nieci. You must be taught a lesson." He walked over to me and slapped me. I stared daggers at him and gritted my teeth. I couldn't strike him back for my arms were tied. But I was working on that gradually. Although my meteor hammer was still in the woods with Bankotsu, I had a hidden blade that I kept in the arms of my armor. As discreetly as I could, I began cutting the ropes that bound me to the chair. "I'm impressed Nieci. You don't even cry now when I hit you."

"I'm done shedding tears over you, you bastard."

"Such big words for such a weak woman." He hit me again, but like before, I showed no signs of pain. In fact I smirked at him, almost mocking him. Yeah keep on hitting me Hari, cause once I'm free, I'm taking that ass out! I was almost done cutting the ropes. Hari leaned over me, putting his hands on the arm rests of the chair and his face in my face. "Nieci, I heard that you have become a member of the Shichinintai. They call you 'Fukushuukotsu' do they not?"

"Yeah. So what?"

"Ku ku ku. Oh Nieci, you are in way over your head. Trying to be an assassin like your scum of a father. Heh! Little girls like you should play with their dollies and ribbons. You should know your place Nieci and that's in my bed!"

"No, you should know your place and that's up against the wall!"

"What?!" As soon as I said it, I kicked Hari hard in the stomach, making him stagger backward. With one final hard cut, I freed myself of the ropes and instantly went after Hari. I hit him with a left hook, then a right, causing him to fall to the floor. I jumped backward before he could retaliate. I smirked as I saw him trying to get back on his feet.

"Come on Hari! Can't beat your own niece?! You should be used to beating up a woman you son of a bitch!"

"Damn you whore!" he yelled at me. He ran towards me trying to punch me back, but I ducked under his swinging arm. As he turned back around, I greeted him with the side of my foot connecting to his right cheek. He staggered backward, hitting the wall. That hit managed to slightly cut him as blood now ran down his cheek. He wiped it away with a smirk on his face. "So you know a few tricks, but we both know that I only need to hit you one time and its all over."

"Think so? Try it then!" He came at me again, but I slid under his legs. I ran to the wall as my uncle chased me. I ran up the wall and did a back flip off of it and landed behind Hari. Before he could turn around, I kicked him in the back and sent him flying face first into the wall. He fell to the floor, seemingly beaten. I took a step backward just in case he might spring to life again. "Get up you bastard!" I yelled at him, maintaing my defensive stance.

"You dare treat your uncle like this? What a kniving wench you are!" I turned around to see that Kane Yokohama was standing right behind me with the blade of a katana at my throat. I began to panic. I didn't have my weapon with me, and my hidden blade couldn't stop that sword.

"When did you get in here?" I asked Yokohama.

"I'm a ninja, that should explain it all."

"So you're going to finish the job for Hari?"

"Nah. I think he can do that himself."

"Hunh?" He looked over my shoulder. I turned around to see that Hari had now gotten back to his feet. Before I could react, he punched me hard in the face, busting my lip. I fell to the hardwood floor from the force of the strike. Hari then jerked me back up by my hair and kneed me right in the middle of the back, knocking me to my hands and knees. He evily laughed.

"Already assuming the position. I knew you were a whore!"

"Damn you to hell!" I yelled, trying to trip him with my foot, but he foresaw my action. He clasped his hands together and pounded them in my back, causing me to fall from my all fours position. Yokohama then grabbed me by my arms and pulled me to my feet. And with his ninja speed he threw me over to the bed and chained my arms to the headboard. I struggled against my binds trying to get free. My uncle looked at me and let out a very evil and triumphant laugh. I growled as I continued struggling.

"Yokohama you shall be greatly rewarded for your fine job," Hari roared with laughter.

"Yes M'Lord," Yokohama hissed, eyeing me. He bowed and left the room. Hari then turned to me, nothing but lust and rage in his eyes.

"I told you to learn your place Nieci!"

"Bite me!"

"Oh believe me, that's what I intend on doing!" He started to take off his clothes. "You see Nieci, after I enjoy you one last time, I shall kill you for defying me!"

"Lord Minamoto! You haven't learned your lesson by now?!" a voice called from outside the door. I gasped. That sounded just like Bankotsu. Hari backed away from the bed and eyed the door. Suddenly something large flew through the wodden screened door, practically destroying it. After the debris settled, I saw that it was Yokohama and he was obviously dead. He had a huge gash in his chest, no doubt from Banryu. Bankotsu then entered the room with blood all over him and Banryu. He stepped over the dead ninja and gradually approached my uncle. His eyes were cold and murderous and sent waves of fear down my uncle's spine. Hari began to back away to the wall. Bankotsu then turned his gaze from him to me. He walked over to the bed and cut me from my binds. "Why did you leave me out there?" he asked me, slightly concerned and slightly irritated.

"I had to pee," I meekly said.

"Oh yeah, well that explains everything!" I rolled my eyes. "Here." He gave me my weapon and put it in my hands. He then turned back to my frightened uncle. "So are you going to kill him or shall I?" I smirked at my boyfriend.

"Hari is mine," I hissed.

"Think again!" Hari cried out. He then took the chair that I had been tied up in and broke the window. Before I could stop him, he jumped out of the third story window, to the ground. I ran over to the window expecting to see his smushed form, but he wasn't even there!

"Were did he go?!" I said shocked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find him," Bankotsu said as he turned to rush out of the room, only to run into Suikotsu and Jakotsu who was now standing in the doorway. All three men went crashing to the ground. "Owww dammit why are y'all up here?!" Bankotsu snapped rubbing his head.

"Renkotsu has been killed," Jakotsu said.

"What?!"

"Yeah, he got stabbed through the heart."

"Growls I don't believe this! First that bastard Hari escapes and now this!"

"I'm sorry Bankotsu," I said as I walked back over to him and knelt down beside him. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Its okay. Just another enevitability about life. Couldn't be helped. We just have to make sure that it won't be us next time." I nodded my head. "Come on. Lets go." We all got off of the floor and walked out of the damaged room.

* * *

**Lord Minamoto's POV**

Wheeew! That was a close one! Good thing that I had this mattress hidden behind these bushes, just in case I had to escape out of the window. I didn't know how strong Nieci had become, but now I see that she is dangerous indeed. Oh well, at the end of the day that ass will still be mine. One by one the Band of Seven is becoming smaller. Bankotsu will fall eventually and when he does, Nieci will have no one to protect her. Then she will regret for EVER crossing me.

* * *

A/N: Okay I know that the whole kidnapping thing and hidden mattress was a little farfetched, but I couldn't think of nothing else, lol . I wanted to make Nieci fight Hari, but he can't die yet.


	18. Chapter 18

Sunlight was beginning to break when Bankotsu, the remaining members of the Band of Seven, and myself finally came across a small house. I walked a little ahead of the men, remaining completely silent since we had left the castle. I was disappointed in myself, for if Bankotsu hadn't have come in to save me at the right time, I would have been dominated again by Hari. As strong as I had become, I still wasn't strong enough to ward of my uncle. Not only that, but the fact that I had allowed myself to get kidnapped was a mere shame in itself. What if Bankotsu hadn't realized that I was gone. I could be dead right now, because Hari would have definitely killed me after he had finished satisfying his sick desires. No. I had to get stronger. I couldn't always relie on Bankotsu, I had to become strong enough so that I could take out anything that Hari sent my way.

We stopped in front of the house and saw that it was unoccupied. That was good because I didn't want another inocent family to be killed. It was a small home and void of furiture, but it was still shelter. "Eh, I guess that this will sufice," Bankotsu declared. I briefly looked around the room we were standing in before turning past the three men and walking out the door. I knew Bankotsu was following me, but I didn't stop to wait on him. I kept walking until I found a small stream, not too far from the house. I sat down, took off my armor and dipped my feet in the cool water. Bankotsu sat down beside me. "I might be wrong, but I have the feeling that something is troubling you Nieci." I let out a deep sigh.

"It is." He wrapped his strong arms around me and pulled my head to his chest.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm simply not strong enough," I bluntly said, "if you hadn't have came in and stopped my uncle, I would have been violated once again. I'm upset because I'm still reling on people to get me out of trouble." He lifted a hand and began to stroke my dark hair.

"You've come a long way from where you started Nieci. Don't be upset that you haven't perfected your assassin methods yet. You're doing pretty good in my opinion."

"You're just saying that because I'm your girlfriend."

"No, I'm saying that because its true. I mean think about it. Your skill is at that level after only a month and a half of training. I think that you're making your father proud. I know that you're making me proud." I laughed to myself.

"I'm pretty sure that my father wouldn't have had to have someone come and save him from trouble though."

"I'm pretty sure that he did. I mean he didn't get that strong over night either. I'm sure that your dad had someone watching his back from time to time. As warriors we all need someone like that. Even when we go solo, we all need at least one ally for if things get too dangerous, they can help take the heat off. What do you think that the Band of Seven was for?"

"I guess you're right. But still..."

"If you want more training, I'll be happy to give it to you. But you have to pay me though."

"Pay you?"

"Mmmhmm. With those soft lips of yours." I giggled as I leaned up and united my lips with his.

"You always know what to say," I smiled nuzzling my nose against his, "that's why I love you."

"I love you too." He released me from his embrace and stood up in the grass. He then leaned down and helped me to my own two feet. I bent down and picked up my armor and put that back on. I then picked up my weapon. "Are you ready now?" Bankotsu asked suprised.

"Yeah. No time like the present."

"Alright then, if you insist." He picked up Banryu. "Your weapon is unique because you can attack the opponent at a greater distance than I can. So I want to see if you can disarm me of my weapon. Wrap your meteor hammer around Banryu and snatch it from my hands." He extended his right arm far from his body so if I missed, I wouldn't hit him. I shifted my weight so most of it was on the foot behind me as I began to swing one of the weighted balls over my head. After I had it in a steady rotation, I let the ball fly over into Bankotsu's direction, but only manage to graze Banryu's blade. I instantly pulled the ball back and tried a second attempt. This time I hit the center of the blade, but still didn't wrap it around Banryu. I tried over and over again, but only seemed to manage to hit the blade of the massive halberd. After a while, Suikotsu and Jakotsu had now come to see where we had gone off to and were now watching me train. On about my twenty third attempt, I managed to get the chain of my weapon around Banryu, but when I tried to pull it out of Bankotsu's hand, I didn't get the weapon far enough from him. If he had been a real opponent, it would have been easy for him to retrive his weapon and strike me down. After a few more tries, I had perfected the sword snatching technique and managed to send Banryu flying a few feet behind me, although not far. I smiled to myself feeling a little more confident in my abilities as an assassin.

"I have to say, you're not half bad for a woman," Jakotsu said approaching us, "but I want to test your skills myself." I had never fought another member of the Band of Seven before, only Bankotsu. I nodded my head.

"No Jakotsu. She can't handle that yet," Bankotsu protested.

"She can only learn through experience. If she is even half of the assassin that her father was, she'll be fine."

"Jakotsu's right. If she can halt the Jakotsuto then she truly has earned her place as the First Lady of the Band of Seven. As of right now, its just a silly little name," Suikotsu said, maintaining his smug composure.

"Not only that but she'll earn my respect. Even though she's still a woman."

"Mine too," Suikotsu agreed. Bankotsu looked at me still very worried. I smiled trying to reassure him.

"I'll be okay," I said. After a couple more moments, he softly nodded his head in agreement. I walked until I was a few feet away from Jakotsu. "I'm ready," I said. As soon as those words left my lips, Jakotsu sent his snake like sword flying at me. I managed to dodge the first few blades but I got hit with the last few. My armor protected me from some strikes, but the sword wounded my arm. I lightly groaned as I tried to fight the pain. I glanced over at Bankotsu who was looking very tense. I know he wanted to intervene, but the others, myself included, persuaded him not to. I regained my defensive stance and prepared myself for another attack from the sword. The snake like sword came at me one again, but this time I wasn't so successful avoiding the sharp blades. My both arms and the side of my face got hit. The one that got my cheek also managed to chop off a little of my hair. I fell to my knees, trying to fight back the tears that were desperatly trying to escape my brown eyes.

"Nieci stop this," Bankotsu pleaded from the sidelines. I shook my head no as I watch the blood fall to the dirt below me.

"I'm...fine," I growled from the pain I felt. I managed to get back to my feet and positioned myself once more. The snaking blades went after me once more. This time I managed to avoid more than I had on my previous attempts, but I still couldn't stop it. A blade hit my back. I cried out in pain as I fell to the earth. If the armor hadn't sheilded me somewhat, the injury would have been worse.

"Nieci!" Bankotsu cried running over to me.

"S...Stop," I gasped out. I struggled to my feet once more. I could feel the warm blood flowing down my olive skin.

"Nieci you're strong enough. Now stop it," Bankotsu begged.

"I am NOT strong enough. I can't halt the damn sword," I harshly growled. I didn't mean to be that rude to him, but the pain of Jakotsu's strikes was at high levels. Bankotsu backed away as I began to swing my weapon over my head again.

"Maybe you should do as he says," Jakotsu said, a little concern in his voice.

"Just keep it comming," I simply replied. He obeyed and sent the weapon at me once more. My eyes were now able to see the fast moving blade as I now was able to avoid every strike. Yet, I was still not able to stop the sword. This battle continued for several more minutes and my body was beginning to tire from the amount of blood loss. Bankotsu kept telling me to stop, but I refused to listen. I was going to halt the Jakotsuto even if it killed me.

"Ready?" Jakotsu asked me, preparing to sent it at me again. I smiply nodded my head. The sword began coming at me as I continued to swing my meteor hammer over my head. I could now see each blade as it came after me. There it was right there! I sent the weight of my weapon flying to the center blade of the sword and the chain wrapped around it. I immediatly pulled the chain tight as the snake like sword began to slow down until it stopped completely. Everyone's eyes widened when they saw it stop. I had finally managaged to halt the Jakotsuto.

"She was actually able to do it," Jakotsu said to himself out loud.

"She truly has earned her place among us," Suikotsu said, also in slight awe. I let out a deep sigh, happy that it was all over. I felt as if my action really did make my father proud. And with that thought, I collapsed from all of my blood loss, darkness taking me over.


	19. Chapter 19

I woke up very dizzy, my eyes turned toward a pillow. I looked around me to realize that I was inside of the house that we had just taken refuge in. I let out a loud groan of pain as I tried to sit up, but realized that I couldn't because of the soreness that overtook my body. I fell face first back into the pillow, biting it trying to fight the pain I felt. "Glad to see you're awake," I heard a familiar voice say. I turned my head to the door, to see that Bankotsu was standing in the doorway with a hand full of bandages.

"Wha...What happened?" I weakly said. The last thing I could remember was fighting Jakotsu outside in the woods.

"You collasped from your injuries after you halted the Jakotsuto," he said, walking over to the mat I was lying on. He knelt down beside me and ran his fingertips on my back. It was then that I realized that my kimono was around my waist! My face became red with embarrassment as I wondered who had bandaged me up and if they saw my exposed chest. I guess Bankotsu saw how red my face had become as he let out a soft chuckle. "Don't worry. I didn't look," he said. I felt a bit relieved, as I could feel some of the heat leaving my face.

"How long have I been out?"

"Mmm...probably about an hour." I nodded in reply. "Is the pain great?" I nodded again. "Poor baby. I'll make it better." He leaned down and began to trail soft kisses over my back. I sighed as his warm lips felt good against my skin. He then took a hand and began to rub it. Ahhhh that was relaxing as well. I could stay like this forever. After a couple more minutes of this, he removed his hands from my back. I let out a little groan of frustration, but Bankotsu laughed it off. He removed the old bandages from my back and placed new ones on it. I squeezed my eyes tightly trying to fight the stinging pain. After he was done with that, he kissed the wound once again. He then took a blanket and put it over me. "Get some rest," he ordered me as he rose to his feet with the old bandages in his hand. He gave me a soft smile before exiting the room again. I laid my head back down on the pillow and drifted back off to sleep.

After a couple more days, my wounds began to heal up and I was more than ready to get back out there and train some more. Bankotsu, however, had some other things in mind.

It was a warm, sunny morning as Bankotsu and I sat by the stream that was near the house. I sat between his legs and leaned back on his chest, while he lightly stroked my hair with his hands. "Did you always want to be an assassin Bankotsu?" I asked, making general conversation.

"Nah. At first I wanted to be a doctor, but I realized that that wasn't the thing for me. I was much more prone to injuring others, not healing them."

"So what did you like pick up a stick one day and say, 'Hey, I think I want to hit people for a living.'?" He laughed at the great dumbness of what I had just said.

"Actually, yeah."

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm. Well, not quite like that though. You see, my cousin was a samurai and I admired him very much. Almost as much as I admired your dad. I would sometimes watch as my cousin practiced and I was amazed at how skilled and talented he was in the art of fighting. I was determined to be like him, so the next day, I begged my father to get me a sword. I began to train with my cousin and got stronger, and the rest is history. Jakotsu knew him too. He can tell you how phenomenal he was."

"So who do you think was better? Him or my dad."

"Can't really say. They each had their own unique way of combat. Every warrior's style is different. Take you for example. You have a tendency of getting kidnapped while using the bathroom." My face reddened as I realized how embarassing it sounded.

"Shut up!" I cried. Bankotsu let out a loud laugh.

"Well you did," he smiled, squeezing me tight and kissing my cheek. I softly chuckled, still blushing. "So Nieci, what do you plan on doing after we defeat your uncle? I mean, do you intend on remaining an assassin?" I shook my head no.

"Nah. Once I kill Hari, that chapter in my life is closed. I'm more interested in living my life as a normal woman."

"I see."

"What about you? Are you still going to be the leader of Jakotsu and Suikotsu?"

"You know, I really don't know. Part of me wants to still fight, but the other part of me wants to settle down and start a family."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I want to find me a nice wife to have my kids. You know someone sweet, smart, strong, nice, loving, not to mention beautiful." I began to get a little annoyed. He was talking about finding a wife right here in front of me. How dare he.

"Oh really now?" I said a little agitated.

"Yes. You know, I hope and pray everynight that I'll find a woman like that to meet my criteria. Some woman that I can see myself spending the rest of my life with. One that will be a good mother to my kids. Oh how I've longed to find a girl like that." I was becoming more and more upset by the minute. I was now gritting my teeth, although he couldn't see. "Yeaaaah that's what I've been searching for. But you know what? I don't have to search anyomore, because I've already found her."

"Oh yeah?! Who is she?!"

"Her name is Nieci Kasugi. Have you met her?" I gasped as I turned around. Was he serious or was he just joking again? Bankotsu smiled as he lifted my hands in his and kissed both of them. "Nieci, you are a phenomenal woman and I must be the luckiest man in the world to have you by my side. I was wondering, after we defeat your uncle, would you like to become my wife?" I could feel my eyes widen as my mouth hung open in shock. Was Bankotsu proposing to me? Of course the answer was yes, but I could seem to get my mouth to say it. Bankotsu looked at me a little scared. "Nieci? Will you bear my children?" My mouth made strange gasping noises as I tried my best to sqeuak out yes! Just say it dammit! Say yes! "Nieci?" he was looking really worried now. I guess he thought that I was going to say no. I gave up on trying to say it and just nodded my head. He smiled really wide as he jumped to his knees and wrapped his arms around me. I brought my lips to his and kissed them very sweetly. He pulled me closer and began to kiss me with a little more force. Then, he began to get a little carried away as I soon felt myself being pushed back and his lips now on my neck. My voice was still gone, but I took a hand and hit it repeatedly on his back, telling him to stop. He got the hint after a few hits and pulled away from me. He looked at me with a pleading look, wanting access to be granted, but I shook my head no. He then smirked as he stood up in the grass. He then picked me up in his arms. "That's okay. You're going to be my wife so all I have to do now is patiently wait," he said. I rolled my eyes as I kissed him on his cheek.

"I love you Bankotsu," I said when my voice returned.

"I love you too my love."

* * *

A/N: Ahh yes the whole "Bear my child" thing. Very Miroku-ish, but it sounds more feudal era like, rather than "Will you marry me?" 


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, I woke up feeling like what happened the day before between Bankotsu and I was a wonderful dream. Did that really happen? Was I now engaged to Bankotsu? It all seemed too good to be true. I rolled over to my other side to face the man I loved. He was sound asleep and looked so relaxed and at ease. Bankotsu was really cute when he was sleeping, although, I'd never tell him that. I propped my elbow on my pillow and laid my head in my hand as I reached over and started to play with his lose, black hair. His hair was so silky and soft. Even softer than mine. I smiled to myself as I though about how happy we were going to be as husband and wife. Not to mention how pretty our kids would be. Just then, Bankotsu started to move a little. He opened his eyes and looked at me very sleepily. I greeted him with a huge smile. "Good morning Bankotsu." He smiled back.

"Yawn Good morning Nieci." He leaned over and gave me a kiss. He then reached up and began to caress my cheek with his hand. "Sleep well?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Did you dream about me?" I smiled as I shook my head. "Aww pity. I had a dream about you."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah."

"What happened?"

"Well, I don't remember exactly, but I can remember you saying, 'Oh Bankotsu!' a lot." My face turned like five shades of red. I reached up and smacked him on the arm. He laughed out loud. One good thing about me becoming his wife is that he'd never bore me with his silly self. He gave me another quick peck before he got out of bed. He went to the closet and pulled out his kimono top and pants and his armor. "I'm about to go to the bath house. You comming?" I turned my eyes to the floor as I shook my head. He smirked as he walked back over and sat on the bed. He cupped my chin in my hand and lifted up my head so we were eye to eye. "Nieci, I love you so much and we're about to be married. And when two people love each other like we do, its okay if they do things like that together. I know you're still concerned about being with me after what all that son of a bitch, Hari, did to you, but I promise you that I won't handle your body so carelessly. I love you so much and I want you to feel good, but how can I do that if you won't let me touch you?"

"...I'm sorry Bankotsu...I...I just don't think that I can handle it yet."

"That's fine. I'll wait, but not for much longer. Okay?" I nodded my head, shying away from his eyes. He then stood back up and walked out of the room. I fell back into the pillows and stared up at the ceiling in deep thought. He was right. If we were going to have kids and have a healthy marriage, I was going to have to make love to him sometime. But still the thought of the action repulses me. I love Bankotsu, but I can't sleep with him. I just can't.

After me and the rest of the Band of Seven had gotten dressed, we decided to go and pay Hari a little visit at his castle before he could find us. After I was able to stop Jakotsu's sword, I was confident that I would be able to handle anything that Hari sent my way. I was going to wreak havoc upon the castle where I used to live and today was the day that I was going to bring Hari down once and for all.

"So what's the plan when we get here?" Jakotsu asked as we walked down the road, towards the castle.

"Well, Hari belongs to Nieci, so we'll leave him alone if he's there, but the rest are free game. Kill as many as you please," Bankotsu said.

"Hmph. You don't have to tell me twice," Suikotsu said, "I've been over due for a nice blood bath." I rolled my eyes. Suikotsu was so sadistic. He always was the most blood thirsty one in the Band of Seven. He didn't care who he had to kill, it was all in good fun to him. My main concern, however, was Hari. Hari was one of those people who needs to be taught a lesson before he can learn. His lesson was going to be death. I was going to personally make sure of it.

We had finally arrived at the woods near the castle. Like Bankotsu and I had done that night, all four of us crouched low in the bushes devising up an attack strategy.

"Here's the deal, Nieci and I are going to go in the castle in order to search for Lord Minamoto. You and Suikotsu take care of any outside opposition. After you two have defeated anybody who comes your way, meet up with us inside the castle okay?"

"What do you think? Let's get this show on the road," Jakotsu cried out. Bankotsu smirked back.

"Alright then. Everyone ready?" We all nodded as we got into position, ready to do a running attack. "Let's go!" We all ran out of the bushes and bum rushed the entrance of the castle. The guards instantly became defensive as they saw us running towards them. As to be expected, the number of guards that guarded the castle had more than tripled, but still, they were no match for us.

"951, 952, 953, 954, 955, 956," Bakotsu counted as he proceeded to kill six guards before he had made it into the castle. I killed two myself before I caught up with him. "We're going!" Bankotsu yelled to Suikotsu and Jakotsu before we entered the castle doors.

Bankotsu and I walked back to back as we slowly made our way down various halls of the castle. We were constantly on our toes, for we knew Hari's sneaky ways all too well. After several minutes of searching, we didn't come across anybody. We decided to split up to cover more ground. I took the top floor and Bankotsu took the bottom. We'd meet up on the middle floor. As quickly as I could, I ascended two flights of stairs until I was on the third floor of the dark castle. I held the chain of my weapon tight in my hands as one by one, I kicked down each door, looking for Hari. Each time, the room was empty. Something wasn't right. Usally, Hari would leave a couple of advisors home in order to make sure that everything in the castle was running smoothly. I had yet to come across a single one. After breaking down each door on the top floor, I had finally come to the last room. Like I had done with the others, I kicked that door down too, but as soon as I did, Sasuke Fujima came running out with a long katana in his hands. I quickly jumped to the side before the blade could pierce me and Fujima stopped himself before he ran into the brick wall. He then turned around to face me with an ice cold smirk on his lips. I smirked back, mocking him.

"Fujima. Have you come for your revenge?"

"You already know. That night when we first battled, you made me look like a fool. But now I'm ready for you."

"Hmph. What a pest you are. I should have killed you on the first night, then I wouldn't have to be bothered with you when I'm searching for your lord. This time, I shall not make the same mistake."

"Ku ku ku. You really do believe that you are a member of the Band of Seven, Nieci. You are dilusional."

"No such thing. I i am /i a member of the Band of Seven. I am Fukushuukotsu, the fighter who is determined to get her revenge on all who let me needlessly suffer. You watched day in and day out as my uncle continually abused me. Yet you did nothing to stop him. So don't expect me to have mercy on you."

"I don't need you to have mercy on me, for you will be dead anyways."

"Oh yeah? Try it." Fujima positioned himself in a stance ready to attack me and I put on a defenive stance. His eyes ran over me as he looked me from head to toe analyzing me. Trying to see if he could read my actions. Bankotsu had taught me long ago not to let my opponent be able to read me as I fought, so I didn't show any signs of what I planned to do. Fujima finally gave up and rushed towards me with the blade. He brought it down in a downward strike, but I held it off with the chain of my weapon. I then kicked him hard in the stomach, causing him to double over. While he was bent, I brought my knee to his face. When he jerked back up from the second strike, I connected my right fist with his left cheek. He staggered backward against the wall. I then swung one of my weights at him, but he moved before the ball hit his face. The impact left a small dent in the wall. Fujima tried to regain his composure as he wiped the blood away that was trickling down his nose.

"Audacious wench!" he snapped.

"Dirty bastard," I snapped back. Fujima let out a low growl as he came after me again with the sword. I doged the blade, but somehow ended up getting cut anyway. I stared down at my arm that was now oozing out blood wondering how in the hell I got hit when I dodged the razor sharp blade. Then I looked back up at the smirking Fujima. His katana had now become a double bladed sword. One at each end. So that was it. I smirked at him, not letting him see that his cut had hurt.

"Leave it to one of you advisors to pull such a low down, dirty trick."

"Low down? Ha! All is fair in the game of life and death. Call it what you want, but you would do the same thing."

"No I wouldn't. You see, I'm so confident in my skills, that I don't need to stoop to such trickery. Do as you please, in the end I'll still be victorious."

"I shall put an end to that arrogance of yours. Believe that!" He came after me, spinning the new double bladed katana in a circular motion in front of him. Lucky for me, my meteor hammer was a long distance weapon as I sent the ball flying into his chest again. Fujima was unable to avoid my strike for I had sent the weapon at him with great speed. As it connected with his chest, Fujima was not able to continue the spinning motion of his sword. I then resent the weapon at him and wrapped it around one of the blades. I jerked the chain back and the katana flew over my head and landed a few feet behind me. Fujima then began to have a look of fear on his face for he knew that he was completely vunerable to me. Blood flowing from his chest and mouth. He looked like a defeated man. Then he did something I didn't expect. He dropped to his knees and began to beg for forgiveness.

"Please Nieci I beg of you. If I had known that there was anyway for me to stop Lord Minamoto I would have. I didn't want to see you abused, but I was afraid. Please spare me Nieci. I beg of you."

"Ha ha! You expect me to believe that?! You enjoyed my suffering and you know damn well that's the truth. I told you earlier that I will show no mercy towards you and I ALWAYS keep my promise. I shall now use you as an example for my uncle. Sasuke Fujima. Rot in hell!" I then swung my weapon and it came crashing into his skull. He was dead before he hit the ground. As I stared at the man before me lying in a pool of his own blood, I felt no remorse for killing him. It was then and there that I had realized that I was truly an assassin now. And I truly was living up to the Kasugi name.


End file.
